It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Like it or not, abortion access has always been viewed as a “women’s problem.” Men rarely talked about it, at least not publicly, and it didn’t seem to rank very high on their list of political priorities.
Not anymore.
Since Donald Trump proudly took credit for overturning Roe v. Wade with his anti-choice Supreme Court appointments, men have been forced to pay more attention — particularly in red states with the most restrictive abortion policies.
As the costs of extreme abortion bans have mounted, men have seen their partners forced to delay or forgo essential medical care — whether bleeding out in emergency room parking lots while suffering a miscarriage or taking on the huge expense of traveling between states. In extreme cases, they’ve seen their partners die.
Husbands with wives who’ve been denied care when a pregnancy goes wrong are now waking up and speaking out.
As a recent Washington Post article highlighted, one such couple had to drive 400 miles from their home in Arkansas to reach an Illinois clinic willing to end a pregnancy with a malformed fetus that would be stillborn if carried to term. The ordeal was enough to convert the husband from abortion opponent to pro-choice advocate working to get an abortion measure on the state ballot.
In states that ban abortion, virtually all clinics have closed since the Dobbs decision obliterated a woman’s right to control her own body. Facilities in bordering states have meanwhile been inundated with pleas from desperate couples seeking help.
More and more men are stepping up and joining Men4Choice, a national organization dedicated to recruiting men in the fight for safe and legal abortion. The group hosts community education events with young pro-choice men and organizes Get Out the Vote events mobilizing hundreds of male allies for contacting voters.
“It’s not just about abortion. It’s about freedom. It’s about power,” founder Oren Jacobson told the Post. A prominent ally is second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who helps the group with outreach to broaden their membership.
According to data reported in the New York Times, more than 171,000 patients traveled for an abortion in 2023. That’s double the number who crossed state lines for an abortion in 2019, accounting for nearly a fifth of recorded abortions. It’s a grim reminder of the upheaval in access since the overturn of Roe v. Wade. 2024 data is of course not complete, but there’s no evidence that cross border trips for the procedure have slowed.
Then there are the uncounted casualties of these draconian bans: women unable to travel out of state for an abortion even though they desperately want or need the procedure. That includes women working at low wage jobs who can’t afford to take time off, cover child care costs while they’re away, and pay for gasoline, food, and lodging for the trip.
There’s no reason to think they’ll stop there. Why not limit men’s choices too? Outlaw vasectomies and take condoms off the drug store shelves. Don’t laugh — it could happen.
Bottom line: men, particularly in restrictive red states, are waking up and speaking out. It’s a good bet their numbers will grow, and access to abortion will at last no longer be seen as just a woman’s problem. Because it isn’t.
Stay or go? Pacific Islanders face climate's grim choice
by Issam AHMED
SEPTEMBER 27, 2024
A photo taken on December 6, 2021 shows high-tide flooding and debris covering the road to the airport in the Marshall Islands capital Majuro.
Rising waters are slowly but surely swallowing Carnie Reimers's backyard in the Marshall Islands, pushing her toward an agonizing choice: stay in the only home she's ever known or leave and face the prospect of becoming a climate refugee.
"It's not a comfortable topic to talk about," the 22-year-old activist tells AFP, explaining the emotional toll this looming reality has on the wider community, who are grappling with similar threats.
"We're deeply rooted in our country, and we don't want to be displaced or forced to live somewhere else—it would be hard to preserve our culture."
Climate change is dramatically reshaping life in Pacific Island nations, leaving them ever more vulnerable to storm surges, saltwater contamination, ruined crops, and relentless coastal erosion.
"Every day it's a constant battle," says Grace Malie, a 25-year-old from Tuvalu, the tiny archipelago facing the grim prospect of becoming the first nation to be rendered unlivable by global warming.
Speaking to AFP from the Climate Mobility Summit, held on the sidelines of the United Nations annual meeting, Malie recalls how her community was forced to ration just a few buckets of water among large extended families during a drought two years ago.
The freshwater "lenses" beneath Tuvalu's atolls, once tapped through wells, were contaminated by rising seas years ago, leaving the nation's 11,000 residents reliant on rainwater. Even their crops now grow in boxes rather than in the salt-poisoned ground.
This past February, storm waters surged from the lagoon on Tuvalu's main island, Funafuti, flooding roads and seeping into homes.
It wasn't even a tropical cyclone, says Malie—just a regular storm—but with higher sea levels now, any storm has the potential to wreak havoc.
'Matter of survival '
Since the start of the 20th century, global mean sea levels have risen faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, a direct result of land ice melt and seawater expansion from planetary heating, experts say.
According to NASA's latest projections, Pacific Island nations will experience at least 15 centimeters of sea level rise in the next 30 years.
"It's the difference between flooding a few times a year, or none a year, to 30 times a year, 60 times a year, or every other day," Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, who directs ocean physics programs for NASA's Earth Science Division, told AFP.
Even King Tides—extra high tides caused by new or full moons—now cause mayhem in the Marshall Islands, according to Reimers, flooding schools and blocking access to the airport.
While some Marshallese have already emigrated, forming a sizable diaspora in some places, such as the US state of Arkansas, Reimers says they only truly feel at home when they return to the islands, reconnecting with their people.
There's even talk of relocating the capital, Majuro, where Reimers lives with her family. The young activist sees a future for herself shaping these crucial discussions.
Tuvalu's situation might be even more precarious. By 2050—just 26 years from now—more than half of the capital's land area will be regularly flooded, a figure set to rise to 95 percent by 2100, according to official estimates.
"For us, it's a matter of survival," Prime Minister Feleti Teo, who is helping lead diplomatic efforts to preserve the sovereignty of low-lying island nations even as they risk being submerged.
Last year, Teo signed a landmark treaty with Australia, paving the way for more Tuvaluans to obtain permanent residency there when the agreement takes effect.
Malie knows of several families who have already relocated to New Zealand and Australia, but for others, the idea of leaving is still "very taboo."
Her grandparents, for instance, have vowed to remain on the islands as long as possible—a sentiment she shares.
"We don't want to think of the worst, because if we do, it will diminish our hopes."
Oil pollution in North Sea is ‘grossly underestimated’, suggests new report
THE CONVERSATION Published: September 26, 2024
Growing up in Aberdeen, Scotland, the shadow of the Piper Alpha disaster loomed large over our community. The tragic explosion of the oil rig platform in 1988 claimed the lives of 167 people. Back then, I was blissfully unaware of the ecological ramifications of that disaster. But the spill of 670 tonnes of oil wreaked havoc on marine life and had a lasting impact on the marine environment that I love to explore.
In recent decades, there has been a gradual decline in the number of oil spills and the volume of oil discharged from tankers, rigs, wells and offshore platforms. While incidents continue to occur globally – often in less scrutinised regions than the North Sea – the UK has, thankfully, not experienced another disaster of Piper Alpha’s magnitude since
Does this mean that the UK’s oil and gas sector have cleaned up their act? They would certainly like you to think so. But ocean pollution isn’t just about large oil slicks that spread across the water’s surface.
As a new report, Sea Slick, from marine conservation charity Oceana explains, the extent of frequent, small-scale spills are still being grossly underestimated, even though big oil spills are less frequent.
The report reveals what it claims is the true scale and impact of chronic oil pollution in the UK, showing that for many years the North Sea has been subjected to hundreds of unaccounted for “chronic oiling events”. These are where oil is frequently released in lower volumes than those associated with large spills. This issue stems from a poorly regulated oil and gas sector and a lack of transparency in reporting, allowing oil and gas companies to mark their own homework.
Currently, a certain amount of oil pollution is permitted as part of routine operations for oil and gas developments. Companies can apply for oil discharge permits, which allow them to release a set volume or concentration of oil or chemicals into the ocean. This waste output is referred to as “produced water”. Produced water is a by-product of the oil and gas sector, which returns to the surface of the ocean as wastewater during oil and gas production. Produced water may be treated before release but still contains finely dispersed oil and toxic heavy metals, such as mercury and arsenic.
Oil and gas companies are regularly breaching their legal produced water permit allowances, Oceana’s report claims. Yet, in line with official government reporting requirements, these breaches are not registered as accidental oil spills. Indeed, Sea Slick counts a total of 723 permit breaching incidents in the last three-and-a-half years – that’s equivalent to 17 oil or chemical spills each month.
Currently these permit breaches aren’t counted as accidents. They’re not really counted as anything – other than permit breaches. If these unaccounted-for permit breaches are factored into official government data for accidental oil spills, Oceana estimates that the volume of oil spilling into UK seas increases by at least 43%.
The oil and gas sector are keen to reassure the public that chronic oil pollution can be quickly dispersed and poses a low risk to marine life or human health. Certainly, if incidents were rare, this might be a more persuasive argument. But they aren’t. Over time, the incremental release of toxic chemicals has a negative environmental effect. An estimated 248 spills from permit breaches took place within the UK’s network of marine protected areas between January 2021 and May 2024.
Why does this matter? Marine protected areas are regions of the ocean which have been given special designations to help preserve marine life and habitats. They have been created to protect rare, threatened and important habitats or species.
Marine wildlife is at great risk of harm from oil pollution, but a substantial number of oil spills occur within marine protected areas. werbefotos_com/Shutterstock
The release of produced water into areas, which have been singled out as especially important for protection, is shocking. Contaminants associated with chronic oiling have been shown to have a range of effects on marine life. The list is long: damaging cells and cell membranes, DNA damage (a common cause of cancer), the changing of gene expression and the disruption of reproductive functions. The steady leaching of toxic oil and chemical byproducts poses risks to human health too as toxic chemicals enter the food chain through farmed and wild-caught fish. Getting serious about sanctions
The new government’s water (special measures) bill will force water companies to clean up the UK’s rivers and oceans. A failure to cooperate or any attempts to cover up data around sewage spills could see bosses jailed for up to two years. Water company bosses are finally being held to account. Will the UK government apply the same rules to the bosses of oil and gas companies who are also polluting our seas?
As the Sea Slick report notes, there is overwhelming public support for polluters to be held to account. By regulating and fining oil companies properly for chronically polluting UK seas, the government could enact and make permanent their commitment to end new oil and gas licenses. It’s time to take action.
Postdoctoral Researcher, Toxicology, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London Disclosure statement Rosie Williams receives funding from the Natural Environment Research Council. Partners
UK
Union warns Scottish black and ethnic minority workers 'falling below poverty line' Jody Harrison Thu 26 September 2024 The STUC is meeting in Glasgow (Image: NQ)
Black and minority ethnic people are falling faster and further below the poverty line in Scotland, it has been warned.
Retail trade union Usdaw has said that workers from these backgrounds face structural racism and discrimination, exacerbated by the cost of living crisis.
The union has a delegation of members, reps and officials attending the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) annual Black Workers’ Conference in Glasgow this weekend.
The union has submitted motions on tackling structural racism, inequality and poverty, along with addressing the combination of racism and sexual harassment Black women and girls experience.
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary said: “Black and minority ethnic people are disproportionately falling faster and further below the poverty line in the cost of living crisis in Scotland.
“The labour market in Scotland – as elsewhere – remains stacked against Black workers. If you’re a Black worker in Scotland, you are more likely to be paid less and be in insecure work on the margins of the economy, and less likely to be covered by collective bargaining agreements and to not get the working hours you want.”
The union claims the data also shows that in addition to inequality in the labour market, Black workers face higher housing costs and are less likely to be supported by social security.
Black workers also have less wealth, savings and income - meaning poverty levels for people in Black minority ethnic communities in Scotland are double the national average.
Mr Lillis added: “A wide range of short- and longer-term measures need to be adopted to tackle structural racism and discrimination in Scotland’s economy and society.”
The union will call on the conference to pressure the Scottish Government to stand by its commitment to reduce racial inequality, as set out in the Race Equality Framework for Scotland, and bring greater create a labour market that offers equal opportunities for minority ethnic workers and offers a route out of poverty.
Thousands support call against using weedkiller
Paul Murphy BBC news BBC Campaigner Katie Teakle organised the petition against North East Lincolnshire Council's use of the chemical glyphosate
A woman who started a petition about the use of chemical weedkillers has been supported by more than 26,000 signatures.
Katie Teackle, from Cleethorpes, set it up after becoming concerned about North East Lincolnshire Council's (NELC) use of glyphosate to kill weeds on roadside verges.
The chemical is a powerful herbicide that kills most plants, but there is concern about its wider impact on bird and insect populations.
The BBC has contacted NELC for comment. A council worker sprays chemicals on to weeds at the base of a tree
According to The Local Democracy Reporting Service, the petition begins: “Where are all the bees, insects and birds? Chattering sparrows, soaring swallows? How many butterflies have you seen this year? When was the last time you saw a wasp?”
It lays blame for declining biodiversity at least in part at the door of “the widespread use of toxic weedkillers”.
Ms Teakle is hoping that the council will urgently review its use of glyphosate.
"You have to lead by example and local authorities are in a great position of power," she said.
"There is a very real issue here and the council is best-placed to lead by example."
James Elliot, also known as The Canoe River Cleaner, is concerned about the impact of glyphosate on the wider environment
As well as a phase-out of use of glyphosate in favour of non-chemical alternatives, the petition also calls for the council to work with Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN), which supports local authorities to become pesticide free.
The campaign is being supported by Grimsby-based environmental campaigner James Elliot, who is also known as The Canoe River Cleaner.
Mr Elliot is concerned about the impact chemicals may have on the insect life and wildlife in his local waterway The River Freshney.
"The numbers speak for themselves, I think it's resonated with people," he said.
Mr Elliot added that he is confident his local authority will act to reduce or phase-out the use of the weedkiller.
He said: "Obviously, we need the council to be on board because they are using glyphosate at the moment, but I think they will be."
‘Good war’ vs ‘bad war’: An examination of TIFF’s offerings in the ‘shadow of a genocide’
This year's edition of the film festival posed an interesting question — what does it mean to be human in the face of destruction?
How does one navigate the vibrant chaos of a film festival in the shadow of an ongoing genocide? This weighty question loomed large in my mind as I immersed myself in two films at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) — From Ground Zero and Russians at War — while other poignant narratives such as No Other Land and Viktor beckoned for consideration.
These films help us grapple with the complex emotional landscape and ethics that shape our collective experience in these turbulent times, urging us to confront the ethical dilemmas that persist long after the last credits roll. It compels us to confront the paradox of our existence — the allure of heroism entwined with the horror of destruction, inviting us to grapple with the ethical complexities that underlie our narratives of violence and redemption. Cinema transforms war into a mirror reflecting our deepest truths — showing us not just the chaos of battle, but the moral quandaries that linger in its aftermath. Through its lens, we grapple with the cost of conflict and the enduring question: what does it mean to be human in the face of destruction? When cinema blinks
A scene from No Other Land
In No Other Land, directed by Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal, and Rachel Szor, the viewer is thrust into the rugged landscape of Masafer Yatta, a region reeling from a court ruling that dismisses the residents’ long-standing fight against the illegal seizure of their homeland. Adra, an activist armed with both a camera and a law degree, serves as both narrator and anchor; having lived his entire life in this encroached territory, he aims to illuminate his community’s struggle against relentless Israeli occupation.
While the villagers are aware of the larger forces at play, the film focuses on their immediate struggles, driven by an undeniable urgency. The documentary immerses viewers in the stark realities of Masafer Yatta, tracing the lives of its inhabitants from 2019 to 2023 with a poignant immediacy. The film paints a vivid portrait of resilience amidst adversity, juxtaposing serene moments — like Adra’s quiet attempt to rest as a bulldozer rumbles ominously above — with the visceral chaos of confrontations captured in raw, handheld footage.
Rather than wading into the murky waters of geopolitical debate, Adra and Abraham, an anti-occupation Israeli journalist, zero in on the intimate struggles faced by the villagers, illuminating their humanity in the face of relentless encroachment and occupation. Each frame pulsates with a sense of urgency, revealing how the residents navigate the daily grind of existence under siege, where each mundane act becomes an act of defiance.
The documentary powerfully conveys that while broader political narratives loom in the background, the heart of the film lies in the lived experiences of those who call this contested land home. In this landscape of tension and uncertainty, No Other Land resonates as a profound exploration of survival, reminding us that in the face of overwhelming odds, the quest for dignity and belonging remains an unwavering force.
A scene from Viktor
In Viktor, another war tale, this time from Ukraine, we see in the protagonist, Viktor, a deaf war photographer, navigating the vagaries of a nation at war. Starting a day before the first day of the conflict and running through the first year, director Olivier Sarbil introduces us to Viktor Korotovskyi, a deaf Ukrainian citizen desperate to fulfil his duty and against all odds becoming an official press photographer, working near the front lines. He gets inside the head of his subject, employing subjective swings in the audio soundtrack to either mute or muddle what’s being perceived, bringing hearing audiences into the compromised sonic space of Viktor himself.
The film delves deeply into the intricate bond between war and the often unspoken compulsion to serve one’s country, revealing the profound desperation that drives individuals to such lengths. It lays bare the human instinct to sacrifice, not just out of duty, but from a need to find purpose amidst the chaos, portraying the silent yet powerful forces that compel people to offer themselves to the cause, even when the cost is unimaginable.
Viktor envelops its audience in the depths of auditory isolation, using a delicate interplay of cinematic techniques to invite us into the silence that governs Viktor’s reality. The absence of sound heightens each visual detail, creating an unsettling immersion. By weaving between muffled whispers and distorted soundscapes, the film offers hearing viewers a visceral glimpse into Viktor’s fragmented experience of reality. By manipulating the audio to oscillate between muted whispers and muddled soundscapes, the film immerses hearing audiences into Viktor’s disorienting, compromised world of sound, allowing them to experience the fractured reality that shapes his perception.
Viktor captivates not only through its portrayal of the war photographer at its centre but also in what his lens reveals in stark, arresting black and white. As much a study of Viktor as it is of the fractured worlds he captures, the film draws power from what lingers in the shadows, making it a profoundly reflective meditation on war, memory, and the act of witnessing. As Viktor declares, “Silence is not emptiness; it is not the absence of something. It is the presence of the self and nothing else. In this silence, I find my peace.” We have not been able to see past the fog of war
In the Western world, the narrative is sharply divided between a ‘good war’ and a ‘bad war’ — where Israel’s actions are framed as ‘self-defence’ while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is condemned. Amid this, Canadian-Russian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova’s Russians at War finds itself ensnared in controversy. The film has drawn fierce backlash from the sizeable Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, who vehemently oppose its portrayal of the conflict, accusing the filmmaker of “humanising the Russians soldiers”.
Pro-Ukraine protesters at the festival.
Politicians have weighed in, amplifying tensions, while funding bodies like TVO disavowed their connection, giving credence to the documentary as ‘Russian propaganda’ — a term now wielded to fit shifting political agendas.
Four days earlier, the same TVO, in a statement released on September 6, claimed: “Russians at War is at its core an anti-war film. It is unauthorised by Russian officials and was made at great personal risk to the filmmaker, who was under constant threat of arrest and incarceration for trying to tell an unofficial story. This film shows the increasing disillusionment of Russian soldiers as their experience at the front doesn’t jive with the media lies their families are being told at home.”
Amid this tumult, TIFF cancelled the programmed screenings, ultimately permitting a double screening after North America’s largest film festival drew to a close, under heightened security, surrounded by vocal protesters, underscoring the fraught intersection of art, politics, and public sentiment.
Russians at War unveils the complex realities of life of a motley group of Russian soldiers amidst existential compulsions, ideological tensions, and unravelling war, revealing the humanity often obscured by political narratives. It is as if the film followed in the footsteps of John Steinbeck’s Russian Journal, alongside renowned war photographer Robert Capa, an incisive eyewitness account of the Soviet Union during the nascent Cold War.
Captured over seven months, this documentary immerses viewers in the lives of a disparate band of Russian soldiers — conscripts and volunteers alike — grappling with the stark challenges of survival in the tumultuous landscape of Russian-occupied Ukraine, where the lines between fighting and enduring blur. Boredom and the slowness of war on the frontlines envelop the viewer, as myriad personal intentions, stories of friendship, and the nurturing of love gradually peel away the layers of narrative surrounding the brutal Russian invasion.
A scene from The Bibi Files
In sharp contrast is The Bibi Files, directed by Alexis Bloom, which delves into the murky depths of corruption enveloping Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While the film faced minimal resistance to its release — save for Netanyahu’s legal attempts to stifle it — the compelling leaked footage at its core presents a unique dilemma. This very evidence, vital to the film’s investigation, complicates its screening in Israel, where it risks prejudicing potential jurors and further entangling the political narrative it seeks to expose.
In From Ground Zero, the gaze reverses. It offers an urgent, intimate glimpse into the human toll of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, far beyond the scope of news bulletins. The victims and subjects of the genocide speak, each frame is an expression of raw emotion, creating a deeply personal narrative of survival, loss, and the fragility of existence under siege. From Ground Zero — a powerful anthology of 22 distinct voices from filmmakers within Gaza — stands as a harrowing yet vital testament to the enduring human cost of war.
A scene from From Ground Zero
Each film poignantly underscores that, beneath the broader geopolitical narrative, it is individual lives that are irreversibly altered. Both unflinching and heart-wrenching, this collection confronts viewers with the visceral realities of conflict, demanding our attention and empathy. It is not merely an artistic endeavour but an essential document of survival and suffering, a necessary reckoning with the ongoing devastation. Initiated by director Rashid Masharawi, born and raised in Gaza to a family of refugees originally from Jaffa, through the Masharawi Fund, this project grants Palestinian filmmakers an artistic outlet in the face of impossible conditions.
In one of these 22 works that stuck with me, Sorry Cinema by veteran Gazan filmmaker Ahmed Hassouna offers a letter of apology to the art form, saying he is unable to continue working as he has to ensure his family’s survival. Ahmed, having never seen his films on a big screen or showcased at festivals, declined Masharawi’s offer to join the project. Grieving the recent loss of his brother and trapped in the isolation of North Gaza where aid arrives only by air, his refusal spoke to the weight of personal and collective tragedy. The film is a moving tribute to cinema, as much as it is a poignant perspective of a creative’s life amidst war.
It is pertinent to point out that this anthology from Gaza was first accepted at the 77th Cannes Film Festival after which its director Thierry Fremaux informed director Rashid Masharawi about their inability to screen the collection of 22 works as they want “a festival without polemics”. The 2022 Cannes Film Festival kicked off with a live video message from Ukrainian President Zelensky, bringing the urgency of war to the heart of cinema’s grand stage.
In 2024, Masharawi organised a protest screening in Cannes: “We carried out the media campaign ourselves, set up the tent, issued our publications, established a refugee cinema, showed the Gaza sea, and provided dates and coffee — which we serve in houses of mourning — to honour the souls of the more than 37,000 martyrs. We are filmmakers. The world must hear us. We want our voice to be heard, because we exist.” Excavating cinematic memories
In the invocation of the influence of Robert Capra by the director of Russians at War, my mind wandered to two individuals — Rade Serbedzija who played the character of a native Macedonian war photographer in Before the Rain, and Abu Zubaydah in Can’t Get You Out of My Head by Adam Curtis.
A scene from Can’t Get You Out of My Head by Adam Curtis
Curtis’ ambitious six-part documentary series, with a total runtime of approximately eight hours, explores the psychological and political evolution of modern society, tracing the shift from collectivism to individualism. With his signature blend of archival footage, Curtis delves into the forces shaping our contemporary world — power, paranoia, and the disintegration of shared meaning.
The series interweaves stories of individuals, ideologies, and revolutions, presenting a complex narrative about the consequences of unbridled individualism and the manipulation of collective fear. It’s an epic reflection on the chaotic, fragmented world we now inhabit. In one haunting vignette, Curtis lingers on the fractured psyche of Abu Zubaydah, a man whose mind, shattered by CIA torture, serves as a chilling metaphor for collective disarray.
Curtis almost declares, “We’ve all become like Abu Zubaydah’s brain,” yet wisely holds back, inviting viewers to explore this unsettling parallel for themselves. Abu Zubaydah’s tale, however, extends beyond his personal torment; a shell fragment lodged in his brain since 1991 leaves him trapped in a liminal world of fragmented memories — mirroring the way we, too, grapple with a fractured reality that eludes coherence.
As if vindicating, and despite the zeitgeist, the festival’s People’s Choice Award turned a wary eye from the pressing realities of today, opting instead for a nostalgic inward gaze. The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal celebrated musical lore with tender reverence, while The Life of Chuck, with its forlorn tale, took the crown. Yet, amid these echoes of the past, one is left to ponder — how long can we cradle the comforts of memory while the world outside unravels, demanding not just our awareness, but our urgent response?
However, for me two films, Ground Zero and Russians at War, offered a pertinent point of entry in the times when we are conditioned to create the the uncomfortable dichotomy of ‘good war’ versus ‘bad war’; they stand as bookends to the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, caught in the tumult of American cancel culture, providing a fertile ground for exploring how we collectively process and respond to the visceral realities of contemporary loss, pain, memory, conflict, war and genocide.
They invite us to examine not just the cinematic stories unfolding before us, but also the deeper emotional resonances that challenges our understanding of empathy and complicity. In this context, the festival transforms into a space not merely for entertainment, but for a deeper reckoning with the moral imperatives of our time.
‘Free Speech absolutist’ X suspended over 5 million accounts in first half of 2024
The first transparency report X published since its takeover by Elon Musk shows the platform still moderates its users heavily.
The company suspended five million users, removed or labelled ten million posts, and banned 2,361 profiles, in the first six months of 2024 alone.
Yet only 0.0123 per cent of posts violated one of the platforms rules, it said.
X said it currently used “a combination of machine learning and human review” to enforce these rules.
In 2022, 460 million accounts were reportedly suspended for spam, but this separate category of offences was not included in the latest report.
Nearly two million posts containing violent content were removed, while the platform made 370,588 reports to the US-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.
Abuse and harassment were the most frequently flagged offences, accounting for 36.47 per cent of total reports, regarding 81 million posts.
Another sizeable category of offence was hateful conduct, with almost 67 million reports, nearing 30 per cent of total reports.
In the first half of the year, X sent 370,588 reports of child exploitation—as mandated by law—to the CyberTipline run by the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). More than 2 million accounts actively participating in child sexual abuse media (CSAM) were suspended, said X.
For comparison , in 2023 Facebook and Instagram sent a much higher number of more than 3.7 million NCMEC Cybertip Reports for child sexual exploitation.
Of those, 3.6 million related to shared or re-shared photos and videos that contained child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Articulating its new ethos under Musk’s ownership, X said its “policies and enforcement principles are rooted in human rights,” adding its approach was based on “Freedom of Speech” instead of “Freedom of Reach.”
X, arguably, has become even more helpful towards governments under Musk.
X received more than 18,000 government requests for information in the first six months of 2024, and complied with 52 per cent of those cases.
The previous transparency report, from 2021, showed Twitter “fielded 11,460 requests” and complied with 40.2 per cent of them. This suggested the platform cooperated with governments worldwide substantially more since Musk took over.
The absolute number of government requests increased, from 11,460 to 18,000, and the platform was also complying with a higher percentage of those requests (from 40.2 per cent to 52 per cent).
The report also categorised X’s content moderation efforts, detailing its actions across safeguarding children, combating harassment, preventing self-harm, removing non-consensual intimate imagery, and addressing illegal services.
Before Elon Musk’s 2022 takeover, X published these reports every six months. More recently, one had not appeared between 2021 and 2024.
Fundamental labels and categories did not change, with removals, flagged content, and government requests for information still the principal measuring sticks of the platform’s transparency efforts.
But the current report was substantially shorter than previous ones. With all charts and tables included, it still only consisted of 15 pages compared to the previous report’s 50.
X’s new willingness to obey governments made a sharp contrast with Musk’s initial promises when he bought the platform, when he argued governments systematically bullied social media and tech leaders.
Australia’s forgotten global anarchist
Features,
Jack Andrews was Australia’s leading proponent of communist-anarchism and a key figure in the international anarchist movement
Born in Bendigo in 1865 to London-born parents, John Arthur Andrews grew up in Melbourne, where his father worked as chief clerk for the Victoria Mines and Water Supply Department. As a child, Andrews was frequently bullied at school. In 1879, he enrolled at Scotch College, graduating two years later. After his father died in 1882, Andrews took a job in the same department, earning a good salary. However, he quickly became disillusioned with the work. A budding writer, he once won a prize for a poem celebrating the eight-hour workday.
Andrews’ growing interest in freethought and socialism further distanced him from his bureaucratic life. His dissatisfaction peaked in 1886 when he was fired shortly before Christmas. His physical and mental health deteriorated, and he may have even considered suicide. In early 1887, he joined the Melbourne Anarchist Club, though he was initially sceptical of anarchism. After a period of rest in Dunolly, Andrews returned to the Club as a committed anarchist and soon became a journalist advocating communist-anarchism.
That August, Andrews sent a report on the maritime strike to Johann Most, editor of Freiheit in New York, which was published in October 1890. Andrews believed Melbourne was on the brink of a general strike and possible revolution, with anarchists playing a key role in educating workers and running soup kitchens for the unemployed. Later, Freiheit published Andrews’ essay, “Anarchismus in Australien,” which he may have translated himself.3 It seemed that the German-Australian anarchists were the only organised game in town. “There is no consolidated party whatever to back us up,” he reported, “except in Adelaide where there is a small group of German Anarchists who contributed £4 [to Andrews’s periodical Reason] and do their best to push on the circulation in that city.”4
By early 1892, Jack Andrews faced severe financial hardship and tramped for months in search of work. Despite his struggles, he remained committed to writing and anarchist agitation. He established a correspondence with historian Max Nettlau, a key figure in documenting global anarchism. Andrews’ letters, written in a candid and personal tone, conveyed the isolation and difficulty of being an anarchist in Australia. “The movement in Australia,” he wrote, “appears more disintegrated than it has ever been.”
For Andrews, staying in touch with comrades, both locally and abroad, was not just a tactical necessity but also a source of psychological support: “if I can keep in active communication with others interested in the movement it will keep me going.”
In the early 1890s, Jack Andrews, without steady work, continued his anarchist agitation by publishing several short-lived papers such as Reason and Revolt, often produced with minimal resources. He joined the Active Service Brigade in 1893, a radical direct action group for the unemployed, which became a constant thorn in the side of Australian conservatives. Through both mainstream and labour presses, Andrews defended anarchism, contributing polemical articles that challenged the status quo.
In December 1894, Andrews was arrested and charged with seditious libel for his outspoken writings. Convicted the following year, he served five months in jail, during which the authorities confiscated all his papers, pamphlets, and drafts, a significant blow to his efforts.
Jack Andrews’ correspondence with anarchists across the United States and Europe revealed the existence of a deeply integrated global anarchist network. His involvement in this network was vital in linking Australia’s isolated anarchist movement to the larger global currents of anarchism, despite the practical challenges he faced. These connections facilitated the constant exchange of news, ideas, and materials. Editorial offices of anarchist papers functioned not just as places to produce content but as international clearinghouses, where printed materials from around the world were reviewed, serialized, translated, advertised, or forwarded to other periodicals.
A glimpse into the letter-box section of any anarchist paper showcases the polyglot nature and transnational logistics involved in producing each issue. Language served as a practical tool for gauging the movement’s reach. International anarchist news was often categorized by country, but anarchist publications were typically grouped by language. For instance, the Italian-language section of anarchist media might include papers from the United States, Argentina, Tunisia, and Italy.
Translators were essential in this polyglot network, constantly in demand to bridge linguistic divides. The idea of a centralised translation bureau gained traction among anarchists and was revived in the mid-1890s by Alfred Sanftleben, a German anarchist who operated under the name “Slovak.” From his home in Zürich, Sanftleben established a translation service, placing ads in major anarchist newspapers like Freiheit, The Firebrand, and Les Temps Nouveaux. His “office” became a hub for translating and distributing anarchist books and pamphlets across borders. Andrews made use of this service. In 1896, Sanftleben wrote to him requesting information on the anarchist movement in Australia, along with radical papers. Andrews, fluent in French, sent a report in English to be translated for Les Temps Nouveaux. This report, “Our Movement in Australia,” was first published in May by The Firebrand in English, and a condensed French version appeared in Les Temps Nouveaux that July.
Alfred Sanftleben (1871-1952). Kate Sharpley Library
Despite his undeniable talent as a writer and translator, Andrews struggled financially and never achieved the international prominence of anarchists like Pietro Gori or Peter Kropotkin. He died of tuberculosis on July 26, 1903, in Melbourne. His untimely death — he was thirty-eight — cut short a life dedicated to anarchist ideals, limiting his potential as a global figure within the movement.
DESANTISLAND
FLASH FLOODING | Several dead as ‘catastrophic’ Hurricane Helene hits Florida as one of the largest storms to strike US
Officials urge evacuations due to catastrophic winds and storm surge
Hurricane Helene's projected storm path.
A drone view shows boats as Hurricane Helene intensifies before its expected landfall on Florida’s Big Bend, in Carrabelle, Florida, U.S. September 26, 2024. REUTERS/Marco Bello.
Amber Hardin, 27, spends time with her dog Ducky while taking shelter from Hurricane Helene at Leon High School near downtown Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. Photo: Reuters
Hurricane Helene made landfall on Thursday in northwestern Florida as a Category 4 storm as forecasters warned of “catastrophic” flooding along the Gulf Coast.
The National Hurricane Centre in Miami said Helene roared ashore around 11.10pm local time near the mouth of the Aucilla River in the Big Bend area of Florida’s Gulf Coast. It had maximum sustained winds estimated at 140 mph (225 kph).
Officials have forecast storm surges of up to 20 feet (six metres) and warned they could be particularly “catastrophic and unsurvivable” in Florida’s Apalachee Bay.
Hurricane warnings and flash flood warnings extended far beyond the coast up into northern Georgia and western North Carolina.
Strong winds already cut power to nearly 900,000 homes and businesses in Florida, according to the tracking site poweroutage.us. The governors of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas and Virginia all declared emergencies in their states.
Catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding, including numerous significant landslides, is expected across portions of the southern Appalachians through Friday.
Two people were reported killed in a possible tornado in south Georgia as the storm approached.
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee issued an “extreme wind warning” for the Big Bend as the eyewall approached: “Treat this warning like a tornado warning,” it said in a post on X. “Take shelter in the most interior room and hunker down!”
Helene arrives barely a year since Hurricane Idalia slammed into Florida’s Big Bend and caused widespread damage. Idalia became a Category 4 in the Gulf of Mexico but made landfall as a Category 3 near Keaton Beach, with maximum sustained winds near 125 mph (205 kph).
The storm’s wrath was felt widely, with sustained tropical storm-force winds and hurricane-force gusts along Florida’s west coast.
Water lapped over a road in Siesta Key near Sarasota and covered some intersections in St Pete Beach. Lumber and other debris from a fire in Cedar Key a week ago crashed ashore in the rising water.
Beyond Florida, up to 10 inches (25 centimetres) of rain had fallen in the North Carolina mountains, with up to 14 inches (36 centimetres) more possible before the deluge ends, setting the stage for flooding that forecasters warned could be worse than anything seen in the past century.
Heavy rains began falling and winds were picking up in Valdosta, Georgia, near the Florida state line. The weather service said more than a dozen Georgia counties could see hurricane-force winds exceeding 110 mph.
In south Georgia, two people were killed when a possible tornado struck a mobile home on Thursday night, Wheeler County Sheriff Randy Rigdon told WMAZ-TV. The damage was reported as heavy thunderstorms raked much of the state. Wheeler County is about 70 miles (113 kilometres) southeast of Macon.
Forecaster Dylan Lusk said the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Wheeler County at 8.47pm on Thursday. He said it is one of 12 tornado warnings the office near Atlanta issued for parts of Georgia between 1pm and 11pm.
Many were heeding the mandatory evacuation orders that stretched from the Panhandle south along the Gulf Coast in low-lying areas around Tallahassee, Gainesville, Cedar Key, Lake City, Tampa and Sarasota.
Among them was Sharonda Davis, one of several gathered at a Tallahassee shelter worried their mobile homes would not withstand the winds.
She said the hurricane’s size is “scarier than anything because it’s the aftermath that we’re going to have to face”.
Federal authorities were staging search-and-rescue teams as the weather service forecast storm surges of up to 20 feet (six metres) and warned they could be particularly “catastrophic and unsurvivable” in Apalachee Bay.
“Please, please, please take any evacuation orders seriously!” the office said, describing the surge scenario as “a nightmare”.
This stretch of Florida known as the Forgotten Coast has been largely spared by the widespread condo development and commercialisation that dominates so many of Florida’s beach communities. The region is loved for its natural wonders — the vast stretches of salt marshes, tidal pools and barrier islands.
“You live down here, you run the risk of losing everything to a bad storm,” said Anthony Godwin, 20, who lives about a half-mile (800 metres) from the water in the coastal town of Panacea, as he stopped for petrol before heading west towards his sister’s house in Pensacola.
School districts and multiple universities cancelled classes. Airports in Tampa, Tallahassee and Clearwater were closed on Thursday, while cancellations were widespread elsewhere in Florida and beyond.
While Helene will likely weaken as it moves inland, damaging winds and heavy rain were expected to extend to the southern Appalachian Mountains, where landslides were possible, forecasters said.
The hurricane centre warned that much of the region could experience prolonged power outages and flooding. Tennessee was among the states expected to get drenched.
Guests at the Magic Kingdom break out ponchos at Cinderella Castle (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
Helene had swamped parts of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Wednesday, flooding streets and toppling trees as it passed offshore and brushed the resort city of Cancun.
In western Cuba, Helene knocked out power to more than 200,000 homes and businesses as it brushed past the island.
Areas 100 miles (160 kilometres) north of the Georgia-Florida line expected hurricane conditions. The state opened its parks to evacuees and their pets, including horses. Overnight curfews were imposed in many cities and counties in south Georgia.
“This is one of the biggest storms we’ve ever had,” said Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.
For Atlanta, Helene could be the worst strike on a major southern inland city in 35 years, said University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd.
Helene is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began on June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year because of record-warm ocean temperatures.
In further storm activity, Tropical Storm Isaac formed on Wednesday in the Atlantic and was expected to strengthen as it moves eastward across the open ocean, possibly becoming a hurricane by the end of the week, forecasters said.
Officials said its swells and winds could affect parts of Bermuda and eventually the Azores by the weekend.
In the Pacific, former Hurricane John reformed on Wednesday as a tropical storm and strengthened on Thursday back into a hurricane as it threatened areas of Mexico’s western coast with flash flooding and mudslides.
Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador raised John’s death toll to five as communities along the country’s Pacific coast prepared for the storm to make a second landfall.
Amnesty International called on Cameroonian authorities on Thursday to immediately release three supporters of a youth organization—Moustapha Tizi, Mohamadou Ballo, and Ibrahim Oumarou—and their relatives.
Tizi, Ballo, and Oumarou were allegedly arrested on September 9 in Figuil, Cameroon for wearing shirts with the name of the organization they supported “Pouvoir au Peuple Camerounais” (PPC) on it. The sister of a PPC spokesperson, Hapsatou Issa, was also allegedly arrested on September 9 and her son, who brought his detained mother food, was also arrested. According to Amnesty International, the detainees were subsequently transferred to various detention centers in Garoua, Cameroon on September 13.
Fabien Offner, a researcher at Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa office, condemned the arrests. He said:
In recent years, anyone who dares criticize the authorities, whether a human rights defender, a journalist, an activist for the Anglophone cause or a demonstrator, runs the risk of being arbitrarily arrested and detained, tortured and tried by military courts in violation of the country’s international human rights obligations. Unfortunately, this trend is likely to increase as the presidential election approaches[.]
Amnesty International also noted that activist Junior Ngombe was allegedly arbitrarily detained from July 24 to 31 after he criticized another activist’s arrest on TikTok.
Relatedly, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said he “called on political parties, across the spectrum, to commit publicly to the human rights cause, notably to ensuring the rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly will be defended in the context of the 2025 and 2026 elections” upon visiting Cameroon in August.
Transparency International currently ranks Cameroon’s public sector as one of the 40 most corrupt in the world, with a corruption perceptions index score of 27 out of 100.
BBC
A scene from No Other Land
A scene from Viktor
A scene from The Bibi Files
A scene from Can’t Get You Out of My Head by Adam Curtis
