Guy Fawkes’ punishment was one of the most severe in English history – here’s what happens when a body is hung, drawn and quartered

LIKE POOR WILLIAM WALLACE

GUY FAWKES THE ONLY MAN TO ENTER PARLIAMENT WITH HONEST INTENTIONS

OLD ANARCHIST SAYING

Michelle Spear, Professor of Anatomy, University of Bristol
Tue 5 November 2024 

Fawkes and his co-conspirators were sentenced to hanging, drawing and quartering. Crispijn van de Passe the Elder/ Wikimedia Commons

After their infamous plot to destroy parliament was foiled, Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators received one of the most severe judicial sentences in English history: hanging, drawing and quartering. According to the Treason Act 1351, this punishment involved:

That you be drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution, where you shall be hanged by the neck and being alive cut down, your privy members shall be cut off and your bowels taken out and burned before you, your head severed from your body and your body divided into four quarters to be disposed of at the King’s pleasure.

This process aimed not only to inflict excruciating pain on the condemned, but to serve as a deterrent – demonstrating the fate of those who betrayed the Crown. While Fawkes reportedly jumped from the gallows – which meant he avoided the full extent of his punishment – his co-conspirators apparently weren’t so lucky.

By dissecting each stage of this medieval punishment from an anatomical perspective, we can understand the profound agony each of them endured.

Torture for confession

Before his public execution on January 31, 1606, Fawkes was tortured to force a confession about his involvement in the “gunpowder plot”.

The Tower of London records confirm that King James I personally authorised “the gentler tortures first”. Accounts reveal that Fawkes was stretched on the rack – a device designed to slowly pull the limbs in opposite directions. This stretching inflicted severe trauma on the shoulders, elbows and hips, as well as the spine.

The forces exerted by the rack probably exceeded those required for joint or hip dislocation under normal conditions.

Substantive differences between Fawkes’ signatures on confessions between November 8 and shortly before his execution may indicate the amount of nerve and soft tissue damage sustained. It also illustrates how remarkable his final leap from the gallows was.

The rack slowly pulled a prisoner’s limbs in opposite directions. Wellcome Collection/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Stage 1: hanging (partial strangulation)

After surviving the torture of the rack, Fawkes and his gang faced the next stage of their punishment: hanging. But this form of hanging only partially strangled the condemned – preserving their consciousness and prolonging their suffering.

Partial strangulation exerts extreme pressure on several critical neck structures. The hyoid bone, a small u-shaped structure above the larynx, is prone to bruising or fracture under compression.

Simultaneously, pressure on the carotid arteries restricts blood flow to the brain, while compression of the jugular veins causes pooling of blood in the head – probably resulting in visible haemorrhages in the eyes and face.

Because the larynx and trachea (both essential for airflow) are partially obstructed, this makes breathing laboured. Strain on the cervical spine and surrounding muscles in the neck can lead to tearing, muscle spasms or dislocation of the vertebra – causing severe pain.

Fawkes brought his agony to a premature end by leaping from the gallows. Accounts from the time tell us:

His body being weak with the torture and sickness, he was scarce able to go up the ladder – yet with much ado, by the help of the hangman, went high enough to break his neck by the fall.

This probably caused him to suffer a bilateral fracture of his second cervical vertebra, assisted by his own bodyweight – an injury known as the “hangman’s fracture”.
Stage 2: Drawing (disembowelment)

After enduring partial hanging, the victim would then be “drawn” – a process which involved disembowelling them while still alive. This act mainly targeted the organs of the abdominal cavity – including the intestines, liver and kidney, as well as major blood vessels such as the abdominal aorta.

The physiological response to disembowelment would have been immediate and severe. The abdominal cavity possesses a high concentration of pain receptors – particularly around the membranous lining of the abdomen. When punctured, these pain receptors would have sent intense pain signals to the brain, overwhelming the body’s capacity for pain management. Shock would soon follow due to the rapid drop in blood pressure caused by massive amounts of blood loss.

Stage 3: quartering (dismemberment)

Quartering was also supposed to be performed while the victim was still alive. Though no accounts exist detailing at what phase victims typically lost consciousness during execution, it’s highly unlikely many survived the shock of being drawn.

So, at this stage, publicity superseded punishment given the victim’s likely earlier demise. Limbs that were removed from criminals were preserved by boiling them with spices. These were then toured around the country to act as a deterrent for others.

Though accounts suggest Fawkes’s body parts were sent to “the four corners of the United Kingdom”, there is no specific record of what was sent where. However, his head was displayed in London.

Traitor’s punishment

The punishment of hanging, drawing and quartering was designed to be as anatomically devastating as it was psychologically terrifying. Each stage of the process exploited the vulnerabilities of the human body to create maximum pain and suffering, while also serving as a grim reminder of the consequences of treason.

This punishment also gives us an insight into how medieval justice systems used the body as a canvas for social and political messaging. Fawkes’s fate, though unimaginable today, exemplifies the extremes to which the state could, and would, go to maintain control, power and authority over its subjects.

The sentence of hanging, drawing and quartering was officially removed from English law as part of the Forfeiture Act of 1870.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Michelle Spear does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

What is the weather forecast for Guy Fawkes night? Scotland set for mild evening
Mark McDougall
Mon 4 November 2024 at 1:12 am GMT-7·2-min read


The festival will be held at the Royal Highland Centre (Image: Fawkes Festival)

Scotland is set to experience a mild but cloudy Guy Fawkes night on Tuesday with temperatures sticking at around 10 degrees throughout the day and evening across the country.

Glasgow could even experience it being warmer, with suggestions from the Met Office that the temperature could reach as high as 12 degrees Celsius, and it’s due to get even warmer as the week goes on with the potential for high teens.

It’s good news for anyone celebrating Guy Fawkes night, which commemorates a failed attempt to blow up the UK parliament in 1605.

People across the UK celebrate it with fireworks displays and bonfires and they may be able to do so without the need to get as wrapped up as they normally would at this time of year.

The Met Office says Tuesday will be “remaining dry with a good deal of cloud and also some brighter interludes. Staying mild. Maximum temperature 12 °C.”

It’s a similar story in Edinburgh with temperatures expected to be a degree or two lower than in the west of Scotland, while it’s likely to be a bit colder in the Highlands too but still not at freezing levels.

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Tom Morgan, a meteorologist with the Met Office, said: “It’s going to be mild for this time of year, so you won’t necessarily need hats and scarves and gloves.

“With temperatures expected to be probably still in the double figures for many places in the evening hours.”

Mr Morgan also said the UK would be unaffected by the recent weather patterns that have brought heavy rain and flash flooding to Spain.

He said: “You’ve got contrasting fortunes whether you’re living in north-west Europe and down across southern Europe.

“It’s very different weather patterns affecting Iberia.

“It’s a slow-moving area of low pressure that’s bringing the very unsettled thundery weather with heavy rain and thunderstorms.

“Across the UK, we’ve got high pressure, which acts as a lid on our weather.

“It causes the air to descend, and as that happens, there’s no upward motion in the air, so it means there’s no recipe for clouds to produce rain, and it also means the winds are going to be light.”

REMEMBER, REMEMBER
THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER 

South Korea fines Meta $15 million for illegally collecting information on Facebook users


South Korean Personal Information Protection Commission’s director Lee Eun Jung speaks during a briefing at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Lee Jung-hun/Yonhap via AP)

BY KIM TONG-HYUNG
 November 5, 2024

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s privacy watchdog on Tuesday fined social media company Meta 21.6 billion won ($15 million) for illegally collecting sensitive personal information from Facebook users, including data about their political views and sexual orientation, and sharing it with thousands of advertisers.

It was the latest in a series of penalties against Meta by South Korean authorities in recent years as they increase their scrutiny of how the company, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, handles private information.

Following a four-year investigation, South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission concluded that Meta unlawfully collected sensitive information about around 980,000 Facebook users, including their religion, political views and whether they were in same-sex unions, from July 2018 to March 2022.

It said the company shared the data with around 4,000 advertisers.

South Korea’s privacy law provides strict protection for information related to personal beliefs, political views and sexual behavior, and bars companies from processing or using such data without the specific consent of the person involved.

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The commission said Meta amassed sensitive information by analyzing the pages the Facebook users liked or the advertisements they clicked on.

The company categorized ads to identify users interested in themes such as specific religions, same-sex and transgender issues, and issues related to North Korean escapees, said Lee Eun Jung, a director at the commission who led the investigation on Meta.

“While Meta collected this sensitive information and used it for individualized services, they made only vague mentions of this use in their data policy and did not obtain specific consent,” Lee said.

Lee also said Meta put the privacy of Facebook users at risk by failing to implement basic security measures such as removing or blocking inactive pages. As a result, hackers were able to use inactive pages to forge identities and request password resets for the accounts of other Facebook users. Meta approved these requests without proper verification, which resulted in data breaches affecting at least 10 South Korean Facebook users, Lee said.

In September, European regulators hit Meta with over $100 million in fines for a 2019 security lapse in which user passwords were temporarily exposed in an un-encrypted form.

Meta’s South Korean office said it would “carefully review” the commission’s decision, but didn’t immediately provide more comment.

In 2022, the commission fined Google and Meta a combined 100 billion won ($72 million) for tracking consumers’ online behavior without their consent and using their data for targeted advertisements, in the biggest penalties ever imposed in South Korea for privacy law violations.

The commission said then that the two companies didn’t clearly inform users or obtain their consent to collect data about them as they used other websites or services outside their own platforms. It ordered the companies to provide an “easy and clear” consent process to give people more control over whether to share information about what they do online.


The commission also hit Meta with a 6.7 billion won ($4.8 million) fine in 2020 for providing personal information about itsx users to third parties without consent.

Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr must win reelection to return to the House floor after 2023 sanction


 Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, D-Missoula, stands in protest on the House floor as demonstrators are arrested in the House gallery, April 24, 2023, at the state capitol in Helena, Mont. (Thom Bridge/Independent Record via AP, File)

Missoula Rep. Zooey Zephyr, right, and her fiancee Erin Reed, left, wave to supporters during the Missoula Pride Parade, June 17, 2023, in Missoula, Mont. (Ben Allan Smith/The Missoulian via AP, File)

 Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr poses for a photo at the state capitol in Helena, Mont., April 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Tommy Martino, File)

BY HANNAH SCHOENBAUM AND AMY BETH HANSON
November 5, 2024

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr is seeking reelection in a race that could allow the transgender lawmaker to return to the House floor nearly two years after she was silenced and sanctioned by her Republican colleagues.

Zephyr, a Democrat, is highly favored to defeat Republican Barbara Starmer in her Democrat-leaning district in the college town of Missoula. Republicans still dominate statewide with control of the governor’s office and a two-thirds majority in the Legislature.

The first-term Democrat was last permitted to speak on the chamber floor in April 2023, when she refused to apologize for saying some lawmakers would have blood on their hands for supporting a ban on gender-affirming medical care for youth.

Before voting to expel Zephyr from the chamber, Republicans called her words hateful and accused her of inciting a protest that brought the session to a temporary standstill. Some even sought to equate the non-violent demonstration with an insurrection.

Her exile technically ended when the 2023 session adjourned, but because the Legislature did not meet this year, she must win reelection to make her long-awaited return to the House floor in 2025.

Zephyr said she hopes the upcoming session will focus less on politicizing transgender lives, including her own, and more on issues that affect a wider swath of Montana residents, such as housing affordability and health care access.

“Missoula is a city that has cared for me throughout the toughest periods of my life. It is a city that I love deeply,” she told The Associated Press. “So, for me, getting a chance to go back in that room and fight for the community that I serve is a joy and a privilege.”

Zephyr’s clash with Montana Republicans propelled her into the national spotlight at a time when GOP-led legislatures were considering hundreds of bills to restrict transgender people in sports, schools, health care and other areas of public life.

She has since become a leading voice for transgender rights across the country, helping fight against a torrent of anti-trans rhetoric on the presidential campaign trail from Donald Trump and his allies. Her campaign season has been split between Montana and other states where Democrats are facing competitive races.

Zephyr said she views her case as one of several examples in which powerful Republicans have undermined the core tenets of democracy to silence opposition. She has warned voters that another Trump presidency could further erode democracy on a national level, citing the then-president’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Trump’s vice presidential pick, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, has said he does not think his running mate lost the 2020 election, echoing Trump’s false claims that the prior presidential election was stolen from him.

Zephyr’s sanction came weeks after Tennessee Republicans expelled Democratic Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson from the Legislature for chanting along with gun control supporters who packed the House gallery in response to a Nashville school shooting that killed six people, including three children. Jones and Pearson were later reinstated.

Oklahoma Republicans also censured a nonbinary Democratic colleague after state troopers said the lawmaker blocked them from questioning an activist accused of assaulting a police officer during a protest over legislation banning children from receiving gender-affirming care, such as puberty-blocking drugs and hormones.
___

Schoenbaum reported from Salt Lake City.

Alaska voters deciding a hard-fought race for the state’s only U.S. House seat, election issues

BY BECKY BOHRER
November 5, 2024Share

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska voters were deciding Tuesday a hard-fought race for the state’s only U.S. House seat that could help decide control of that chamber. They were also choosing whether to repeal the state’s system of open primaries and ranked choice general elections just four years after opting to give that system a go.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola sought to fend off GOP efforts to wrest back the seat held for 49 years by Republican Rep. Don Young, who died in 2022. Peltola’s main challenger was Republican Nick Begich, who is from a family of prominent Democrats and was among the opponents she defeated in special and regular elections two years ago when Peltola, who is Yup’ik, became the first Alaska Native elected to Congress.

In addition to the repeal initiative, the ballot included a measure that would raise the state’s minimum wage and require paid sick leave for many employees, a measure opposed by groups including several chambers of commerce and a seafood processors association.
Fifty of the Legislature’s 60 seats were up for election, too, with control of the state House and Senate up for grabs. The closely divided House has struggled to organize following the last three election cycles. In Alaska, lawmakers don’t always organize according to party.

In Alaska’s marquee House race, Peltola tried to distance herself from presidential politics, declining to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris and dismissing any weight an endorsement from her might carry anyway in a state that last went for a Democratic presidential nominee in 1964. She cast herself as someone willing to work across party lines and played up her role in getting the Biden administration to approve the massive Willow oil project, which enjoys broad political support in Alaska.

Begich, whose grandfather, the late Democrat Nick Begich, held the seat before Young, was endorsed by former President Donald Trump following his showing in the primary.

Trump’s initial pick, Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, bowed to pressure from Republicans seeking to consolidate behind one candidate following her third-place finish in the primary and dropped out. Alaska’s open primaries allow the top four vote-getters to advance. The initial fourth place finisher, Republican Matthew Salisbury, also quit, leaving Alaskan Independence Party candidate John Wayne Howe and Eric Hafner, a Democrat with no apparent ties to the state who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for threatening authorities and others in New Jersey, on the ballot.

Begich, the founder of a software development company, sought to cast Peltola as ineffective in stopping actions taken by the Biden administration that limited resource development in a state dependent upon it, including the decision to cancel leases issued for oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Alaska is one of just two states that has adopted ranked voting — and would be the first to repeal it if the ballot initiative succeeds. In 2020, Alaskans in a narrow vote opted to scrap party primaries in favor of open primaries and ranked vote general elections. Most registered voters in Alaska aren’t affiliated with a party, and the new system was cast as a way to provide voters with more choice and to bring moderation to the election process. Critics, however, called it confusing.

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a moderate Republican and Trump critic who has been at odds with party leaders, appeared in an ad in support of keeping open primaries and ranked voting.

Opponents of the system succeeded in getting enough signatures to qualify the repeal measure for the ballot — and withstood a monthslong legal fight to keep it on the ballot. Begich was among those who supported the repeal, and the state Republican Party also has endorsed repeal efforts.

59% of Boeing machinists vote to accept company's latest contract offer, ending strike

 

Boeing machinists agree to new contract, ending weeks-long strike

Nov. 4, 2024
UPI

The Boeing logo hangs from the Boeing Building, international headquarters in Chicago on March 31, 2011. One of Boeing's key unions voted to approve a new contract on Monday. File Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI | License Photo


Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Tens of thousands of striking Boeing machinists voted Monday to ratify a new contract, ending their seven-week work stoppage.

In a statement, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union said its members approved to ratify the contract by 59%.

Workers can return to work as early as the first shift Wednesday, it said.

"Working people know what it's like when a company overreaches and takes away more than is fair," Jon Holden, president of IAM District 751, and Brandon Bryant, president of IAM District W24, said in a joint statement.

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"Through this strike and the resulting victory, frontline workers at Boeing have done their part to begin rebalancing the scales in favor of the middle class -- and in doing so, we hope to inspire other workers in our industry and beyond to continue standing up for justice at work."

The contract includes a 38% pay increase over the course of the four-year contract but does not include the pension change the union had demanded.

The pay increase is better than the 25% the union turned down before going on strike nearly two months ago, but only slightly better than the 35% the 33,000-member union had turned down in the last vote on Oct. 24.

"This agreement represents a new standard in the aerospace industry -- one that sends a clear statement that aerospace jobs must be middle class careers in which workers can thrive," Brian Bryant, IAM international president, said late Monday following the vote.

"This agreement reflects the positive results of workers sticking together, participating in workplace democracy and demonstrating solidarity with each other and with the community during a necessary and effective strike."

Members voted through 7 p.m. PST on Monday, with the announcement of the tally made late Monday night.

Pro-union President Joe Biden issued a statement congratulating both sides on "coming to an agreement that reflects the hard work and sacrifices" made by the workers.

"Over the last four years, we've shown collective bargaining works. Good contracts benefit workers, businesses and consumers -- and are key to growing the American economy from the middle out and the bottom up," he said.

The machinist's average pay, according to Boeing, will be $119,309 by the end of the offered contract. Many of the union workers in the Seattle area, where most of the airplanes are made, had complained about inflation and the rising cost of living in the area.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat who represents Washington's 7th District, which includes most of Seattle, had voiced support for the striking during the work stoppage.

Following the announcement late Monday, she remarked in a statement on Boeing's history on building the middle class in her city and how this contract "is a promising sign that the new leadership is committed to returning to that role as a business that is contributing to our region, state and country's well-being for current and future generations."

The strike crippled Boeing's union factories.

The plant closures because of the strike left hundreds of Spirit AeroSystems employees furloughed while Boeing has laid off 17,000 others. It has also delayed the debut of its 777X widebody airplane until 2026.

Boeing union  approves contract, ending over 7-week strike

By AFP
November 5, 2024

People look on as the Boeing Machinist union tallies votes on the latest Boeing contract offer at the District Lodge 751 Union Hall in Seattle, Washington on November 4, 2024 - Copyright AFP Jason Redmond

Jason REDMOND with John BIERS in New York

Striking workers at Boeing approved a new contract proposal on Monday, ending a more than seven-week stoppage that had cost the beleaguered aviation giant billions.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 751 said it had ratified the offer by a vote of 59 percent after rejecting two prior offers.

The move will send some 33,000 Seattle-area employees back to work and restore operations at two major assembly plants at a time when Boeing is trying to recover from multiple setbacks.

The contract includes a 38 percent wage hike, a $12,000 signing bonus and provisions to lift employer contributions to a 401K retirement plan and contain health care costs.

But the contract does not restore Boeing’s former pension plan that had been sought by older workers.

Jon Holden, head of the Seattle union, described the agreement as a win for workers who were determined to make up for more than a decade of stagnant wages from prior negotiations that had enraged many rank-and-file workers.

“The strike will end and now it’s our job to get back to work and start building the airplanes, increase the rates and bring this company back to financial success,” Holden said at a news conference.

Holden described the contract as “rebalancing the scales in favor of the middle class” after earlier concessions to the company, according to an IAM press release.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg welcomed the ratification, adding that management and workers must work together as “part of the same team,” according to a statement released by the company.

“We will only move forward by listening and working together,” Ortberg said. “There is much work ahead to return to the excellence that made Boeing an iconic company.”

The news was also cheered by President Joe Biden, who congratulated the union on the wage hike and provisions that “improves workers’ ability to retire with dignity,” according to a statement released by the White House.

“Good contracts benefit workers, businesses, and consumers — and are key to growing the American economy from the middle out and the bottom up,” Biden said.

Boeing staff can return as soon as November 6 and must be back on the job by November 12, the IAM said on social media platform X.

– Turnaround mode –

The strike had exacerbated Boeing’s already precarious outlook after a January incident in which a fuselage panel blew out mid-flight on a 737 MAX operated by Alaska Airlines.

There were no major injuries, but the episode plunged Boeing back into crisis after two earlier fatal MAX crashes, with US air safety regulators limiting production output until the company got its house in order.

In March, Boeing announced a management shakeup that included the exit of CEO Dave Calhoun, who was replaced in August by former Rockwell Collins chief Ortberg.

Ortberg has cautioned that a turnaround at Boeing would take time given travails that also include major cost management problems in defense contracts and problem-filled space missions.

In October, as Boeing reported a whopping $6.2 billion quarterly loss, Ortberg described the need for a “fundamental culture change” at Boeing and said he was reviewing the company’s portfolio with an eye towards shrinking its mission in order to restore excellence.

Bu the IAM strike had threatened turnaround efforts under the new CEO.

Jo-Ellen Pozner, an associate professor at Santa Clara University’s business school, had warned ahead of the vote that another rejection by IAM workers could have plunged the company into deeper crisis.

But with the contract now ratified, “there is a way forward,” she said.

The IAM strike had been driven by worker exasperation after more than a decade of near stagnant pay — a problem exacerbated by higher inflation in recent years and higher living costs in the Seattle region, a growing tech hub.

The strike recently surpassed the 2023 United Auto Workers strike against Detroit carmakers to become the costliest in the 21st Century, according to Anderson Economic Group, which estimated the total economic hit at $11.6 billion.

Boeing factory strike ends as workers vote to accept contract


A strike by 33,000 Boeing factory workers is coming to an end. Union machinists voted on Monday to accept the company’s latest contract offer, which includes a 38% pay raise over four years.

 
IAM District 751 president Jon Holden greets union members after announcing they voted to accept a new contract offer from Boeing, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, at their union hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Joe Perry, who has worked for Boeing for 38 years, waits for the results of the union vote on a new contract offer from Boeing, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, at IAM District 751 Union Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

A volunteer sorts votes on a new contract offer from Boeing, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, at the IAM District 751 Union Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)


BY DAVID KOENIG, LINDSEY WASSON AND HANNAH SCHOENBAUM
November 5, 2024

SEATTLE (AP) — Factory workers at Boeing voted to accept a contract offer and end their strike after more than seven weeks, clearing the way for the aerospace giant to resume production of its bestselling airliner and generate much-needed cash.

Leaders of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers district in Seattle said 59% of members who cast ballots agreed to approve the company’s fourth formal offer and the third put to a vote. The deal includes a 38% wage increase over four years, and ratification and productivity bonuses.

However, Boeing refused to meet strikers’ demand to restore a company pension plan that was frozen nearly a decade ago.

The contract’s ratification on the eve of Election Day cleared the way for a major U.S. manufacturer and government contractor to restart Pacific Northwest assembly lines that the walkout idled for 53 days.
Bank of America analysts estimated last month that Boeing was losing about $50 million a day during the now-ended strike, which did not affect a nonunion plant in South Carolina where the company makes 787s.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a message to employees that he was pleased to have reached an agreement.


Boeing machinists vote on contract to end 7-week strike

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Boeing factory workers reject contract, prolong six-week strike

“While the past few months have been difficult for all of us, we are all part of the same team,” Ortberg said. “We will only move forward by listening and working together. There is much work ahead to return to the excellence that made Boeing an iconic company.”

According to the union, the 33,000 workers it represents can return to work as soon as Wednesday or as late as Nov. 12. Ortberg has said it might take “a couple of weeks” to resume production in part because some workers might need retraining.

The average annual pay of Boeing machinists is currently $75,608 and eventually will rise to $119,309 under the new contract, according to the company. The union said the compounded value of the promised pay raise would amount to an increase of more than 43% over the life of the agreement.

“It’s time for us to come together. This is a victory,” IAM District 751 President Jon Holden told members while announcing the tally late Monday. “You stood strong and you stood tall and you won.”

Reactions were mixed even among union members who voted to accept the contract.

Although she voted “yes,” Seattle-based calibration specialist Eep Bolaño said the outcome was “most certainly not a victory.” Bolaño said she and her fellow workers made a wise but infuriating choice to accept the offer.

“We were threatened by a company that was crippled, dying, bleeding on the ground, and us as one of the biggest unions in the country couldn’t even extract two-thirds of our demands from them. This is humiliating,” she said.

For other workers like William Gardiner, a lab lead in calibration services, the revised offer was a cause for celebration.

“I’m extremely pumped over this vote,” said Gardiner, who has worked for Boeing for 13 years. “We didn’t fix everything — that’s OK. Overall, it’s a very positive contract.”

Union leaders had endorsed the latest proposal, saying they thought they had gotten all they could though negotiations and the strike. Along with the wage increase, the new contract gives each worker a $12,000 ratification bonus and retains a performance bonus the company wanted to eliminate.

“It is time for our members to lock in these gains and confidently declare victory,” the local union district said before the vote. “We believe asking members to stay on strike longer wouldn’t be right as we have achieved so much success.”

President Joe Biden congratulated the machinists and Boeing for coming to an agreement that he said supports fairness in the workplace and improves workers’ ability to retire with dignity. The contract, he said, is important for Boeing’s future as “a critical part of America’s aerospace sector.”

Biden’s acting labor secretary, Julie Su, intervened in the negotiations several times, including when Boeing made its latest offer last week.

A continuing strike would have plunged Boeing into further financial peril and uncertainty. Last month, Ortberg announced plans to lay off about 17,000 people and a stock sale to prevent the company’s credit rating from being cut to junk status.

The strike began Sept. 13 with an overwhelming 94.6% rejection of the company’s offer to raise pay by 25% over four years — far less than the union’s original demand for 40% wage increases over three years.

Machinists voted down another offer — 35% raises over four years, and still no revival of pensions — on Oct. 23, the same day that Boeing reported a third-quarter loss of more than $6 billion.

The contract rejections reflected bitterness that built up after union concessions and small pay increases over the past decade.

The labor standoff — the first strike by Boeing machinists since an eight-week walkout in 2008 — was the latest setback in a volatile year for the aerospace giant. The 2008 strike lasted eight weeks and cost the company about $100 million daily in deferred revenue. A 1995 strike lasted 10 weeks.

Boeing came under several federal investigations this year after a door plug blew off a 737 Max plane during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. Federal regulators put limits on Boeing airplane production that they said would last until they felt confident about manufacturing safety at the company.

The door-plug incident renewed concerns about the safety of the 737 Max. Two of the planes had crashed less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. The CEO at the time, whose efforts to fix the company failed, announced in March that he would step down. In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving regulators who approved the 737 Max.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Monday’s vote puts Boeing’s future back on more solid footing.

“Washington is home to the world’s most skilled aerospace workers, and they understandably took a stand for the respect and compensation they deserve,” Inslee said in a statement congratulating the workers.

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Keno Verseck

DW

Moldova's pro-European President Maia Sandu was the clear winner in Sunday's runoff election amid ongoing allegations of Russian interference. She now pledges to accelerate reform and consolidate democratization.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu (pictured here with a large bouquet of white roses) won Sunday's presidential election runoff

Image: Vadim Ghirda/AP/dpa/picture alliance


It was an election day like no other in Europe's recent history.

While turnout for the presidential election runoff in the Republic of Moldova on Sunday broke records — especially among Moldovan voters living abroad — the day was overshadowed by widespread attempts to interfere in the election and disrupt voting.

For one thing, there were systematic bomb threats against polling stations, which had to be temporarily closed.

Moreover, Moldovan police are investigating allegations that Russia organized numerous flights to bring voters from Russia to Turkey and other countries so they could cast their vote in embassies and consulates there.
Nerve-wracking vote count

After a nail-biting 90-minute count, the unofficial result was announced shortly after midnight.

In the end, the outcome was crystal clear: Moldova's incumbent president, Maia Sandu, who would like to see her country join the EU and is pushing for radical reforms, won the election with about 55% of the vote.

Turnout in Sunday's presidential election runoff reached record levels by Moldovan standards

Image: Vladislav Culiomza/REUTERS

Her challenger, Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor-general who was removed from office because of corruption allegations and who had the backing of the country's pro-Russian parties, bagged about 45% of the vote.

Turnout on Sunday stood at about 52% — a record for the Republic of Moldova, especially when one considers how difficult it is for many voters to cast their vote: Some of the country's estimated 2.8 million inhabitants live in the separatist pro-Russian region of Transnistria, while hundreds of thousands live elsewhere in Europe.

Manipulation failed despite massive interference

In short, Russia's widespread attempts in recent weeks and months to interfere in polls in Moldova and shape their outcomes failed. The country's pro-European path is secure for the time being.

However, it is likely that without Russia's hybrid attack on the recent elections and referendum, the result for Maia Sandu would have been even more decisive.

The EU referendum two weeks ago, when voters were asked whether the country's ambition to join the EU should be anchored in the Moldovan constitution, passed with a wafer-thin majority of about 10,000 votes.

Police have said that a massive amount of votes were bought in the referendum and first round of the presidential election two weeks ago.
'Today, you have saved Moldova!'

Before midnight, Maia Sandu appeared before her supporters at the headquarters of the party she herself founded, the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). She was cheered and celebrated as the winner.

The relief and joy was written all over Maia Sandu's face on Sunday evening after it became clear that she had won the election

Image: DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP

After midnight, already completely hoarse, Sandu spoke to the country and the press. Her acceptance speech was very emotional.

"Today, dear Moldovans, you have given a lesson in democracy, worthy of being written in history books," she declared. "Freedom, truth and justice have prevailed."

Sandu also addressed Moldovans living abroad: "You are incredible," she said. "You have shown that your heart is in our country."

Self-critical remarks

Several times in her speech, the reelected president said that she had heard the critical voices and "the voice of those who voted differently."

At one point, she switched from Romanian, the official language of Moldova, to Russian, and said that regardless of their ethnicity and language, all citizens in the country want to "live in peace, prosperity and in a democracy and united society."

Sandu repeated her serious allegations of fraud from the first round of the election and the campaign of the past two weeks. She said that there had been an "unprecedented assault" on the country, an attempt to buy votes with dirty money and "interference by foreign forces and criminal groups."

'Thieves want to buy our votes and our country, but the power of the people is infinitely stronger than all their machinations,' Sandu told local media after casting her vote on SundayImage: Vladislav Culiomza/REUTERS

She was also critical of herself, noting that the speed of reform had so far been inadequate and saying: "We must speed up the implementation of reforms and consolidate our democracy."
Cabinet reshuffle expected very soon

Both the president and the government she supports are under enormous pressure to deliver. Expectations across the country are very high.

Despite the fact that Sandu has long had a reputation for being incorruptible, a woman of integrity and a determined reformer, as president, she has limited power.

Parliamentary elections are due to take place in Moldova in 2025. If the government of Prime Minister Dorin Recean, a Sandu ally, does not come up with better social policies and more judicial and anti-corruption reforms, the country's pro-European path could be at risk.

A cabinet reshuffle is expected in the near future. It is likely that a number of ministers will be replaced.
Geopolitical election

Commentators on Moldovan public television all agreed that Sunday's election had been a geopolitical one in which Moldova had to decide between Russia and the prospect of a future in a democratic Europe.

The other candidate in Sunday's runoff was former prosecutor-general Alexandr Stoianoglo (pictured here)Image: Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo/picture alliance

Most also agreed that there had been "unprecedented criminal activities" against the country.

"Russia and Ilan Shor's criminal group invested a sum equivalent to 1% of our gross domestic product to influence this election. There was phenomenal pressure and an enormous amount of disinformation and manipulation," said Valeriu Pasa, chairman of the civil society organization Watchdog.

Pasa went on to say that "our government and our country now have many lessons to learn [...] in the judiciary, in the fight against corruption, and in the way we deal with society and above all pensioners — a particularly large number of whom are susceptible to disinformation."

He insisted that "kid gloves cannot be used in the fight against con men like Shor. Vigorous action is needed."
A stark warning to Moldova's European partners

Israeli-born Moldovan businessman Ilan Shor is seen as one of the ringleaders in what is known in Moldova as the "theft of the century," when about a billion euros was stolen from three Moldovan banks between 2012 and 2014. Shor fled to Israel before he was due to begin his 15-year prison sentence. He now lives in Russia.

Police accuse convicted fugitive Israeli-born Moldovan businessman Ilan Shor (pictured here) of being heavily involved in an alleged Russian-backed vote-buying schemeImage: Alexey Filippov/SNA/IMAGO

The Moldovan Police suspect him of working with the Russian secret services to run a large-scale sophisticated vote-buying scheme in the run-up to the recent polls. It is estimated that up to 300,000 votes were bought.

Writer Nicolae Negru said that Russia had used Moldova to test such experimental methods of manipulation, stressing that it is now important to ask how a fraud on this scale was not prevented by the authorities, despite the fact that they had long been aware of it.

Political scientist Iulian Groza of the Moldovan Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE) said that the scale of the manipulation and "Russia's sophisticated tools" must not be underestimated.

"Russia will not stop, neither in our country nor elsewhere in Europe," said Groza. "The recent practices and experience in our country must give all our European partners food for thought."

This article was originally published in German and adapted by Aingeal Flanagan.

German firms tested 4-day workweek — here's the outcome

Insa Wrede

DW

A few dozen German companies have allowed their staff to work four days a week without cutting their wages accordingly. The trial showed promising gains, but are they sustainable across the economy?

Working less, feeling better, and even being more productive sounds like hitting the jackpot for firms and their staff

Image: Ute Grabowsky//photothek/imago images

Earlier this year, some 45 German firms launched a 4-day workweek project to find out if such a fundamental change to how we work can achieve positive results for employers and employees.

For six months, and closely watched by researchers from Münster University in Germany, the volunteer companies allowed their employees to work fewer hours without reducing their salaries. The pilot run was initiated by Berlin-based management consultancy, Intraprenör, in collaboration with the nonprofit organization 4 Day Week Global (4DWG).

Achieving the same output with fewer hours and the same pay requires greater productivity. Initially, this might imply more stress and a heavier workload — but does it have to be that way?

4-day workweek: A model for the future?  05:03

Key metric is productivity

To objectively assess the effects of reduced working hours, researchers did more than just conduct surveys and interviews. They also analyzed hair samples to gauge stress levels and used fitness trackers to collect physiological data like heart rate, activity level, and sleep quality.

Julia Backmann, the scientific lead of the pilot study, says employees generally felt better with fewer hours and remained just as productive as they were with a five-day week, and, in some cases, were even more productive.

Participants reported significant improvements in mental and physical health, she told DW, and showed less stress and burnout symptoms, as confirmed by data from smartwatches tracking daily stress minutes.

A shorter workweek is conducive to health, at least in the short term, experts sayImage: Khakimullin Aleksandr D9/Zoonar/picture alliance

According to Backmann's findings, two out of three employees reported fewer distractions because processes were optimized. Over half of the companies redesigned their meetings to make them less frequent and shorter, while one in four companies adopted new digital tools to boost efficiency.

"The potential of shorter working hours seems to be stifled by complex processes, too many meetings, and low digitalization," said Carsten Meier from Intraprenör.

Surprises regarding health and environmental impact

The study has also shown that participants were more physically active during the 4-day workweek, and they slept an average of 38 minutes more per week than those in the five-day control group. However, monthly sick days only dropped slightly, a statistically insignificant difference compared to the same period a year ago.

Marika Platz from Münster University, who analyzed the data, said she was surprised at the number of sick days because similar studies in other countries showed a significant reduction.

Another surprise, she told DW, was the lack of environmental benefits from reduced working hours during the German test as other countries reported a positive impact from offices that could be shut down completely for one day, and fewer commutes to work that resulted in higher energy savings. The reason for this was probably that some German employees took advantage of the long weekends to travel, she said, which reduced any potential energy savings.

In many professions, a shorter workweek doesn't create productivity gainsImage: picture alliance/dpa

Flawed data from a skewed test?

A closer look at the design of the study, however, might raise some doubt about how useful the findings are.

Two companies voluntarily dropped out in the course of the six months, and two others had to be excluded from the evaluation. Of the remaining 41 participating companies, only about a third reduced weekly working hours by an entire day.

Around 20% reduced hours by between 11% and 19% per day, while about half cut work time by less than 10%, or roughly four hours per week. So, in total only in 85% of the cases did employees get a full day off.

The limited number of participating companies also makes the study hardly representative of Germany and its more than 3 million registered firms. This has been because the project struggled to find enough interested employers since it was first mooted two years ago, said Marika Platz, because part-time work is already relatively common in Germany.

Labor market expert Enzo Weber is skeptical about the pilot project, saying that companies participating in such trials are generally already positive toward the 4-day workweek, making them an unrepresentative sample of the economy.

In addition, the researcher at the University of Regensburg and the Institute for Employment Research in Germany, told DW the project's productivity gains may not be due to shorter hours alone, as processes and organizational structures were also modified.

Weber also believes the positive results might not be sustainable due to the increased work compression that will likely come at the expense of employees' social, communicative, and creative aspects. "The effects often don't manifest immediately but rather in the medium term," Weber said, noting that those studies generally cover only a relatively short period of six months.

According to Steffen Kampeter, CEO of Germany's Employers Association BDA, companies that operate in international markets consciously chose not to participate in the trial. He also questions the productivity gains, arguing that "a four-day week with full pay is just a significant wage increase, which most companies cannot afford."

4-day workweek bottom line

Of those 41 companies that have participated in the trial, more than 70% said they were planning to continue with the project. Some said they would extend the trial phase, while others are considering implementing reduced hours directly.

Study director Backmann stressed, however, that the study was not about advocating for a blanket rollout of the 4-day workweek across all sectors, but rather exploring "an innovative work-time model and its effects."

And Carsten Meier from the Intraprenör consultancy added that the positive results of the trial cannot be "automatically translated" into similar gains for every company in Germany.

This article was originally written in German.

UK

Torfaen housing association joins four-day working week trial

Elizabeth Birt
Tue 5 November 2024 

Bron Afon has started a four-day working week trial

 (Image: TOM WEST BEEHIVE PHOTOGRAPHY)

A Torfaen housing association has joined a UK-wide four-day working week trial.

Bron Afon, based in Cwmbran, is one of 17 companies participating in the six-month trial.

The trial, which started on Monday, involves around 1,000 workers testing either a four-day week, a shorter working week, or a nine-day fortnight.


Most of the companies, including Bron Afon, are trialling a four-day week with no loss of pay for workers.

Unji Mathur, executive director of people, change, and technology at Bron Afon, said: "The wellbeing of our colleagues is a priority for us and the four-day week encourages teams to think creatively about how we use our time.

"We’ve already learnt so much about the art of the possible and I’m sure there will be more to learn during our pilot.

"Our customers are and always will be our top priority and we remain committed to delivering great customer service."

The trial is being run by the 4 Day Week Campaign, flexible working consultancy Timewise, and with research support from University of Cambridge, Boston College, and The Autonomy Institute.

The results will be presented to the new Labour Government in summer 2025.

Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, said: "We don't have to just imagine a four-day week anymore - because it's already a reality for hundreds of businesses and tens of thousands of workers in the UK.

"With 50 per cent more free time and no loss in pay, a four-day week gives people the freedom to live happier, more fulfilling lives.

"We look forward to presenting the results of this latest trial to the new Labour Government next summer."

Claire Campbell, CEO of Timewise, said: "It’s great to see a wide range of employers participating in this latest trial.

"Many have frontline staff, and the pilots provide an opportunity to think creatively about how to deliver a five or seven day service whilst offering staff a four-day week.

"We look forward to sharing the results next year, adding to the body of evidence that supporting people with choices about their working lives makes business sense."

More than 1,000 employees join latest four-day working week trial

Salma Ouaguira
Mon 4 November 2024 

More businesses start new four-day week trial to test its effectiveness (PA Wire)

A new six-month experiment involving 17 UK companies and more than 1,000 employees has launched this week to test whether a shorter working week can enhance productivity.

The initiative marks the second phase of the 4 Day Week Campaign, with the latest participants including the Hackney-based Crate brewery and the British Society for Immunology (BSI).

Under the plans, employees work four days per week but retain their full salaries.

This follows a successful trial in 2022, where 56 out of 61 participating businesses opted to adopt the reduced hours on a permanent basis.

Businesses said the trial resulted in an improved work-life balance, reduced stress, and no significant decline in performance.

A new six-month experiment involving 17 UK companies and more than 1,000 employees has launched this week (Getty Images)

As the new trial begins, the 4 Day Week Campaign will gather comprehensive data on employee morale, productivity levels, and burnout rates.

The findings will be submitted to the government next summer, with backing from researchers at Cambridge University, the Autonomy Institute, and Boston College in Massachusetts.

The previous Conservative government criticised the changes describing the four-day working week as “part-time work for full-time pay”.

But the Labour Party has been more receptive to the concept, with deputy prime minister Angela Rayner emphasising flexible working arrangements pose no threat to economic stability.

The government did however confirm back in August it would not make the arrangement compulsory, with a spokesperson from the Department for Business and Trade spokesperson saying: “We have no plans to impose a four-day working week on employers or employees.”

Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, said: “With 50 per cent more free time and no loss in pay, a four-day week gives people the freedom to live happier, more fulfilling lives.”

Georgia Pearson, people manager at Crate Brewery, is also enthusiastic about participating in the trial, describing it as “groundbreaking” for the hospitality sector.

She said: “Although we’ve never struggled with retention, we recognise the competitive advantage that comes with being ahead of the curve.”

She believes embracing this shift gives the company a competitive edge, enhancing employee satisfaction and retention.

Doug Brown, chief executive of the BSI, echoed this sentiment claiming adopting a four-day week will improve staff work-life balance - making the organisation a more appealing employer. However, he stressed the importance of maintaining high-quality service during this transition.

Currently, around 200 UK businesses have been accredited by the 4 Day Week Campaign for permanently adopting this model.

Some 58 per cent of the public say taking a three-day weekend will be “the normal way of working” by 2030 – with only 22 per cent believing it won’t, according to research by Survation.

A survey last summer revealed approximately six per cent of full-time workers in the UK are already working four-day weeks, suggesting up to 1.5 million employees could now be benefiting from this new approach to work.

1933

Canada: Three charged over violence at Hindu temple

Canadian police said three people have been arrested after fights broke out outside a Hindu temple in a Toronto suburb. Indian Prime Minister Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau condemned the incident.

Protests were also held outside Brampton's Sikh temple, seen here

Image:

 Harold Stiver/Depositphotos/IMAGO

Canadian police in the Toronto suburb of Brampton said on Monday that three men had been charged over a violent scuffle that broke out outside a Hindu temple on Sunday.

Authorities said the men, aged 23, 31 and 43, had been charged with offenses including assault with a weapon and assaulting a police officer. "Several acts of unlawfulness continue to be actively investigated," authorities said

The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Canada and India after the latter's alleged assassination of a Sikh separatist in Canada — home to the second-largest Sikh community in the world.

What happened during the Hindu temple violence in Canada?

On Sunday, Sikh activists appeared to have clashed with Hindu rivals at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in the suburb of Brampton near Toronto.

Clips circulated on social media showed people carrying flags of the Khalistani separatist movement. It was unclear who instigated the violence.

"Khalistan" refers to a separatist movement seeking an independent state for Sikhs from Indian territory.

Videos showed people attacking each other with flagpoles and throwing punches. Isolated fights also broke out at the site.

Police also said they were aware of a video of an off-duty police officer participating in a demonstration. The officer has since been suspended.

The North America-based activist group Sikhs for Justice said the incident was an "unprovoked violent attack on peaceful pro-Khalistan demonstrators." They said they were peacefully protesting outside the temple against the presence of Indian diplomats inside the temple premises.

Police said there were demonstrations at several locations in the region.

India and Canada condemn violence

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced the incident on Sunday, saying the "acts of violence" were unacceptable.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first comments on Monday after the Indian Foreign Ministry said "extremists and separatists" were behind the incident.



"I strongly condemn the deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada. Equally appalling are the cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats," Modi said in a post on X.

India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar also condemned the attack on Tuesday as he spoke to reporters during a visit to Australia.

"What happened at the Hindu temple in Canada was obviously deeply concerning," he said.

Relations between Canada and India hit rock-bottom 02:07

Tense India-Canada relations

Relations between New Delhi and Ottawa have dipped recently after Canada accused the Indian government of orchestrating the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year, a Khalistan activist who is a Canadian citizen.

Last week, the Canadian government accused Indian Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah of being involved in the plot.

The Canadian authorities have maintained that they have shared the relevant evidence with the Indian authorities. However, the Indian government has repeatedly denied this claim and called the allegations absurd.

Both countries have since expelled each other's diplomats, causing further souring of ties.

Canada is not the only country that has accused the Indian government of plotting an assassination on foreign soil.

The US has also charged a former Indian intelligence officer in the case of a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.

Canada has 'slam-dunk case' against India: Evan Dyer  05:49

tg/ab (AFP, Reuters)

Israel hostages forum calls for probe into secrets leak case


Gaza hostages group urges probe after ex-aide to Israeli PM Netanyahu allegedly leaked confidential documents, potentially hindering hostage release efforts. Ex-aide Eliezer Feldstein and three others detained Sunday, sparking opposition calls for Netanyahu’s accountability, which his office denies.


Issued on: 05/11/2024 
By: NEWS WIRES

Video by:
Emerald MAXWELL

01:54  Protesters attend a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, Israel November 2, 2024.

 © Shir Torem, Reuters'

A Gaza hostages campaign group called Monday for an investigation into the alleged leak of confidential documents by an ex-aide to Israel's premier, which may have undermined efforts to secure their release.

A court announced Sunday that Eliezer Feldstein, a former aide to Binjamin Netanyahu, had been detained along with three others for allegedly leaking documents to foreign media.

The case has prompted the opposition to question whether Netanyahu was involved in the leak -- an allegation denied by his office.

"The (hostage) families demand an investigation against all those suspected of sabotage and undermining state security," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.



"Such actions, especially during wartime, endanger the hostages, jeopardise their chances of return and abandon them to the risk of being killed by Hamas terrorists."

The forum represents most of the families of the 97 hostages still held in Gaza after they were seized in the unprecedented October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war.

The Israeli military says 34 of them are dead.

"The suspicions suggest that individuals associated with the prime minister acted to carry out one of the greatest frauds in the country's history," the forum said.

"This is a moral low point like no other. It is a severe blow to the remaining trust between the government and its citizens."

Critics have long accused Netanyahu of stalling in truce negotiations and prolonging the war to appease his far-right coalition partners.

Israel's domestic security agency Shin Bet and the army launched an investigation into the breach in September after two newspapers, British weekly The Jewish Chronicle and Germany's Bild tabloid, published articles based on the classified military documents.

One article claimed a document had been uncovered showing that then Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar -- later killed by Israel -- and the hostages in Gaza would be smuggled into Egypt through the Philadelphi corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border.

The other was based on what was said to be an internal Hamas leadership memo on Sinwar's strategy to hamper talks towards the liberation of hostages.
Cabinet leaks probe

The Israeli court said the release of the documents ran the risk of causing "severe harm to state security".

"As a result, the ability of security bodies to achieve the objective of releasing the hostages, as part of the war goals, could have been compromised," it added.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,206 people on Israeli soil, mostly civilians, according to AFP's count based on official Israeli data, including hostages who died or were killed in captivity in Gaza.

Israel's retaliatory military offensive in Gaza has so far killed at least 43,341 people, a majority of them civilians, according to the territory's health ministry. The UN considers these figures as reliable.

Meanwhile, late on Monday Netanyahu asked the attorney general to begin investigating other alleged leaks from cabinet meetings during the war.

"Since the beginning of the war, we have witnessed an incessant flood of serious leaks and revelations of state secrets," he said in a leter to the attorney general, which was posted on his Telegram channel.

"Therefore, I am appealing to you to immediately order the investigation of the leaks in general."

(AFP)