Tens of thousands of UK women dying needlessly from cancer, says report

Sky News
Updated Wed, 27 September 2023 


Tens of thousands of women are dying from preventable cancers every year in the UK, according to a report on gender inequalities and the disease.

Researchers say 24,000 women aged 30 to 69 are losing their lives unnecessarily - and that six in 10 could be avoided through earlier diagnosis and prevention.

They suggest the other four in 10 could be averted by improved access to timely and quality treatment.


Cancer causes and risk factors are also under-recognised and poorly understood, according to the study in The Lancet Global Health journal.

It says only 19% of women at breast cancer screenings in the UK know alcohol is a risk, for example, while being overweight and smoking are among other preventable factors.

Women are dying in the prime of life, the study adds, with more than 5,000 UK children orphaned in 2020 due to the disease.

Overall, researchers say about 2.3 million women die prematurely each year in the 185 countries they looked at.

They say 1.5 million deaths could be prevented by early detection and prevention, with 800,000 avoided if all women could access gold-standard care.

A "myriad of factors" can restrict women's chance to avoid cancer risks, and get a quick diagnosis and quality care, according to the study.

Researchers claim "patriarchy dominates cancer care, research and policy-making" and want gender considered in all policies and guidelines as part of "a feminist approach to cancer".

"Globally, women's health is often focused on reproductive and maternal health, aligned with narrow anti-feminist definitions of women's value and roles in society, while cancer remains wholly under-represented," said Dr Ophira Ginsburg, co-chair of the Lancet Commission examining the issue.

Co-author Professor Nirmala Bhoo-Pathy added that "women are often expected to prioritise the needs of their families at the expense of their own health, sometimes leading to the postponement of seeking healthcare".

INDENTURED SERVITUDE

Greece will use migrants to build metro and airport

Nick Squires
Tue, 26 September 2023 

Migrants aboard a boat at the town of Paleochora in Crete following a rescue operation in 2022 - Costas Metaxakis/AFP

Greece is to put undocumented migrants to work as builders as it struggles to complete major public projects such as a subway system and an airport in Crete.

The government plans to officially sanction an estimated 300,000 migrants who are either undocumented or whose residence permits have expired, Greece’s minister for migration said on Tuesday.

The move is aimed at tackling labour shortages in tourism, building, agriculture and other sectors.

It comes as Europe is facing a fresh wave of migration, fuelling political friction between EU member states, including Germany and Italy, and giving rise to concerns over what to do with the growing number of refugees on the continent.

Speaking during a visit to the US on Tuesday, Suella Braverman, the UK Home Secretary, warned uncontrolled migration poses an “existential challenge” to the West as she called for the rewriting of the decades-old United Nations refugee convention.

Greece’s migration minister admitted that providing a path to legal work for migrants who had arrived in the country might encourage illegal migration but said it was necessary given the scarcity of workers in a number of key industries.

“We do not want to create new incentives for further illegal flows because that is the danger,” said Dimitris Kairidis, the Greek migration minister.

“On the other hand, we want to go … from undeclared to declared labour to boost public revenue with employment taxes and contributions and help address dramatic shortages in certain sectors.”

Metro delays

The difficulties of finding enough workers was hindering some major public works projects, he said, including a new airport on Crete and the construction of a metro system in the northern city of Thessaloniki.

The metro system has been delayed by the decade-long Greek financial crisis, which began in 2009, and by numerous archaeological discoveries that were made as engineers dug deep beneath the city.

On Crete, meanwhile, the planned construction of a new airport outside Heraklion, the island’s main city, has been set back by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Kairidis said at the weekend that while the government was determined to crack down on illegal migration and trafficking gangs, it wanted to also boost legal migration routes.

He said the agricultural sector needed 110,000 farm labourers and there was also an acute need in hospitality, tourism and construction.

A survey in May by the Greek Exporters Association found that more than 90 per cent of the companies surveyed said they face labour shortages and difficulties in finding skilled workers.

The plans were announced amid a recent surge in the number of migrants reaching Greece from neighbouring Turkey.

So far this year, more than 18,000 migrants have arrived, an increase of 106 per cent on the figure for the corresponding period in 2022.

In the first seven months of this year, more than 176,000 unauthorised migrants have entered the EU according to Frontex, the bloc’s border security force. That is an increase of 13 per cent compared to the same period in 2022.

A rise in arrivals has also been registered in Germany, where Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s administration plans to halve the federal aid allocated for states to cover the expenses of receiving and integrating refugees next year.

At a meeting with the country’s 16 states on Monday, the federal government said it would slash such funding from €3.75 billion this year to €1.7 billion in 2024 as part of belt-tightening amid soaring inflation and an economic slowdown.

“We emphasise again that the states must provide their municipalities with the necessary financial resources,” a spokesman for Germany’s finance ministry told Reuters after the meeting.

‘Societal powder keg’

The meeting ended in an impasse after the two sides were unable to agree on a financing package ahead of a planned consultation with Mr Scholz in November.

Critics of the federal government’s move accused it of fuelling a “societal powder keg” after official figures showed more than 200,000 migrants had entered the country this year.

“Instead of increasing funds and decreasing migration figures, they are doing exactly the opposite: less money, rising refugee figures and no real solutions for how to control illegal migration,” said Gordon Schnieder, party secretary for the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in the southwestern state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

“Can’t the cries for help from the municipalities up and down the country be heard in the capital? Many municipalities have their backs to the wall... The cries for help from the municipalities grow louder every week, every day.”

Meanwhile, Luigi Pantisano, a Stuttgart city councillor for the hard-Left Linke party, warned that slashing aid would strengthen the anti-immigration, hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has seen its support surge in recent months.

Others, though, argued that state-level leaders were also shirking their responsibilities.

‘Hole in our finances’

Wolfgang Pieper, mayor of the town of Telgte near the Dutch border, said that the state government in North Rhine-Westphalia hadn’t raised the level of its refugee aid spending since 2017.

“In this year alone we will have a hole of two million [euros] in our finances,” he said, adding that authorities have had to turn two local sports halls into temporary shelters due to a lack of available housing options.

The cut in federal financing, if implemented, would bring federal aid to its lowest level since at least 2016.

During the tenure of Mr Scholz’ predecessor, Angela Merkel, it was not unusual for federal aid to local governments to exceed €6 billion.

But, after years of huge spending packages to deal with the consequences of the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Mr Scholz is keen to bring his budget back in line with Germany’s strict public spending limits.

The increase in migrant arrivals has come at a time when Germany is already coping with the consequences of housing and schooling a million refugees from Ukraine.

Polling shows that Germans have little faith in the government’s ability to cope with the migrant crisis.

Mr Scholz’s centre-Left Social Democrats have fallen to third place in national opinion polls, behind the AfD, in second, and CDU, which is currently the most popular party.

UK
Elton John and Ian McKellen lead backlash over Braverman’s call to crack down on gay asylum seekers

Rod Ardehali,Adam Forrest and Kate Devlin
Wed, 27 September 2023 

Sir Elton John has accused Suella Braverman of comments which risk“legitimising hate and violence” as he and Sir Ian McKellen led a fierce backlash against her controversial remarks about gay asylum seekers.

Senior Tories also warned the home secretary’s incendiary claims would cost the party votes at the next general election, as the outcry intensified.

Ms Braverman sparked outrage with a speech on Tuesday in which she said “simply being gay” should not be enough to gain protection under international law.

Despite the barrage of criticism she doubled down, claiming there were “many instances” of asylum seekers pretending to be gay in order to “game the system”.

But she was challenged to provide evidence after Home Office statistics showed sexual orientation formed part of the basis of just 1 per cent of all asylum claims in 2021.

Opposition politicians and campaigners also accused her of trying to distract from her government’s failings on migration.

Her claim came after Sir Elton and his long-term partner David Furnish released a statement saying they were “very concerned” by her comments and calling for “more compassion, support and acceptance for those seeking a safer future”. Ms Braverman risked “further legitimising hate and violence”, they warned.

Elton John and husband David Furnish have condemned the home secretary (Getty)

They were joined by acting legend Sir Ian, who told Channel 4 News Ms Braverman’s remarks were “laced with a good dollop of prejudice” and part of a tilt at a Tory leadership bid.

Ms Braverman was accused of “picking on” gay people and “throwing [them] under the bus” – with senior Tories warning that she had alienated the LGBT+ voters and revived the “nasty party” reputation.

Suella Braverman called for reform of the UN Refugee Convention (PA)

One former Tory cabinet minister, who claimed the Conservatives had won the support of almost all gay voters after making same-sex marriages legal in 2013, told The Independent that Ms Braverman had torpedoed the party’s LGBT+ credentials.

“In one speech this has cut off the gay vote to the Conservative Party,” they said. “It is a constituency which has been in one swoop alienated.”

The senior Tory added: “The damage to the party is one thing; but the international trashing of Britain as a fair and humane place for those who are persecuted has taken a horrendous backward step.”

Former justice secretary David Gauke described her claims as “incendiary” and “not supported by the evidence” and said they would harm the party at the election. “The Conservative Party should be better than this,” he said. “This is the type of rhetoric that will only further damage its reputation with large parts of the electorate.”

Another senior Tory, a former minister, told The Independent: “Gays are being thrown under a bus. It’s a sizeable vote to dismiss.”

Ms Braverman has called on world leaders to make major changes to the UN Refugee Convention, arguing it had become too generous. “We will not be able to sustain an asylum system if in effect simply being gay, or a woman, and fearful of discrimination in your country of origin is sufficient to qualify for protection.”

Responding to criticism on Wednesday, while still in the US, Ms Braverman said it was “flippant” to suggest that her speech was aimed at boosting her leadership credentials. “I am here working as home secretary,” she told the Press Association.

The cabinet minister, grilled on Sir Elton’s criticism about her comments on gay refugees, rejected claims she was lacking in compassion. “I don’t think that is true.”

Doubling down, Ms Braverman later told ITV’s Peston: “People do game the system – they purport to be homosexual in the effort to game our system, in the effort to get special treatment. That’s not fair. It’s not right. I’m afraid we do see many instances when people purport to be gay when they’re not actually gay.”

Andrew Boff – a leading Tory London Assembly member who is patron of the LGBT+ Conservatives group – told The Independent that Ms Braverman was indulging in “dog whistle” politics to appeal to the right.

Mr Boff warned that Ms Braverman could revive the ghost of the “nasty party” on LGBT+ issues. “We had not too a good record in years gone by, but we have a more proud one in recent years – we introduced equal marriage, we are heading towards zero new HIV infections. So the home secretary’s comments are not helpful or accurate,” he said.

Braverman has suffered huge backlash to her ‘cruel’ speech (AP)

Jayne Ozanne, the Tory government’s former LGBT+ adviser, told The Independent that the Tories could lose millions of votes over its rhetoric and policy.

“I’m appalled that Braverman picking on a small minority of claims from LGBT refugees – she is scapegoating a community. What concerns me is the silence from so many LGBT Tory MPs – that’s deeply distressing.”

She added: “The Tories will pay a price for this. The government has shown it no longer cares about the pink vote. They’ve undermined all trust from the LGBT community – and their friends and allies. It’s no longer a small minority group. Millions of voters care about these issues.”

The leading campaigner, who quit her role and the Tory party in 2021 over the failure to implement a ban on conversion therapy, added: “It looks like they have no intention of bringing in the ban. They have shown cowardice and moral failure.”

Culture secretary Lucy Frazer has declined to commit to keeping the UK in the UN Refugee Convention. Pressed repeatedly, she told Sky News: “What [Braverman] was talking about is whether those sorts of conventions should be reformed.”

Downing Street confirmed that Rishi Sunak signed off on Ms Braverman’s controversial speech. No 10 said the address “went through the normal process”.

But Tory peer Lord Hayward said it was up to Ms Braverman, rather the PM, to justify her remarks. “She has to show that avenue of the system is being abused – the burden rests on her, not other people in the party.”

The polling expert played down the prospect that Ms Braverman would lose the Tories lots of votes. “The party’s reputation on LGBT+ issues has turned around. One set of comments doesn’t change that. I would be more concerned about the [delayed] policy on conversion therapy. It could have more impact.”

In an unusual move, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) rebuked Ms Braverman’s speech after she claimed global leaders had failed to reform asylum rules because they fear being called “racist”. The international body said the 1951 Refugee Convention “remains a life-saving instrument”.

The UNHCR also rejected Ms Braverman’s claim that asylum seekers should face more than just discrimination for being gay if they are to qualify as a refugee. “Where individuals are at risk of persecution on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, it is crucial that they are able to seek safety and protection,” it said.

UK
Rosebank oilfield: Fury as £3.75bn tax break ‘hidden in the small print’

Poverty campaigners have criticised the decision to award developers including Norwegian oil firm Equinor £3.75 billion in tax relief to develop Rosebank

Harriet Sinclair
·Trending News Reporter
Updated Wed, 27 September 2023 

Development will secure country against 'tyrants', energy secretary says

The move comes after Rishi Sunak watered down green policies

Campaign groups say they may have a legal case against government's decision on Rosebank

Climate activists have condemned prime minister Rishi Sunak's plans to 'max out' North Sea oil and gas reserves. (Alamy Live News)

Campaigners have hit out at multi-billion-pound tax breaks for oil giants they claim are "hidden in the small print", after the government green lit plans to develop the Rosebank oil and gas field in the North Sea in a move critics have described as "obscene".

On Wednesday, the government said it was putting energy security first as it gave the go-ahead for its largest new development in the North Sea in years – despite furious opposition from environmental campaigners.

Energy security minister Claire Coutinho said: "The jobs and billions of pounds this is worth to our economy will enable us to have greater energy independence, making us more secure against tyrants like (Vladimir) Putin.


"We will continue to back the UK’s oil and gas industry to underpin our energy security, grow our economy and help us deliver the transition to cheaper, cleaner energy."
'People are suffering'

The move prompted an immediate backlash, with End Fuel Poverty Coalition coordinator Simon Francis criticising the decision to award developers including Norwegian oil firm Equinor a reported £3.75bn in tax relief to develop Rosebank.

"Hidden in the small print of the deal is that this project can only go ahead thanks to a massive tax break the government is giving to international oil and gas giant Equinor," Francis said.

“Households struggling with their energy bills will be shocked that the new energy secretary has chosen to hand a multi-billion pound tax break to this Norwegian firm, rather than help people in the UK suffering in fuel poverty."

Rosebank. (PA)

Development of Rosebank, the largest proposed new oil field in the North Sea, has proved to be a hugely divisive issue. 

(Andrea Domeniconi/Alamy Live News)
Read more:

Untapped Rosebank oil and gas field north of Scotland approved for development (Sky News)

Largest untapped British oil field approval sparks climate backlash (The Telegraph)

Green campaigners angered as Rosebank oil field worth billions gets go-head (PA)

Rosebank’s owners say its development will create 1,600 jobs during the peak of its construction and 450 over the long term, while producing £6.3bn that could be invested in UK businesses. The oil and gas industry currently supports tens of thousands of jobs in Scotland.

But Francis said the tax breaks – which come in the form of an investment allowance for new oil and gas developments introduced by prime minister Rishi Sunak as well as the elapsing of the windfall tax – could have been used to provide additional support to help disabled households, those living off the gas grid and the elderly.

He added: “The government’s major drive to keep the country hooked on fossil fuels will be for little reward. Figures show that more North Sea production will only give us an extra year of domestic gas, which will be charged to struggling households at global market prices.

"This is a political choice and households will remember this decision at the general election."

A rig move of Equinor's oil platform Njord Alpha inside the Norwegian fjord Breisund. The company's development of the Rosebank oil field will see it net huge tax breaks from the Uk government. (Alamy)

'Direct investment'

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas was among those who hit out at the decision to develop the oilfield, describing it as "morally obscene". She pointed out that the move would not equate to cheaper energy bills for consumers - despite the subsidy given to developers Equinor and its partner Ithaca Energy.

“Giving the green light to this huge new oil field is morally obscene. This government must be held accountable for its complicity in this climate crime," she said.

She told Yahoo News: "This climate crime will be financed by the Treasury gifting Equinor – which recently announced record 2022 global profits of £62bn – a tax break straight from the public purse, worth £3.75bn.

"This giveaway is the result of an egregious loophole in the windfall tax, meaning that for every £100 fossil fuel companies plunge into yet more climate-wrecking oil and gas, they can claim £91.40 back from the Treasury.

Caroline Lucas MP has described the move to develop Rosebank as 'obscene'. 

(UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via Reuters)

How much revenue the government generates from North Sea oil and gas. (Statista)

"Energy security and cheaper bills aren't delivered by allowing highly-subsidised, foreign-owned fossil fuel giants to extract more oil and gas from these islands and sell it overseas to the highest bidder.

They come from grasping the opportunities of unblocking and upscaling abundant and affordable renewables, and properly insulating the nation – ensuring clean air and water, thriving nature and wildlife, and high-quality skilled and stable jobs in the process," she added.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: "According to Equinor’s estimates, the Rosebank project represents a direct investment of approximately £8.1bn, of which £6.3bn is likely to be invested in UK-based businesses, with the developer also estimating that at its peak the field producing 69,000 barrels of oil and 44 million cubic feet of gas per day."
Sunak waters down green policies

The government's move on Rosebank came a week after the prime minister announced changes to net zero goals that included an extension on the timeframe to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, among an easing of other environmental policies.

The move has been read by many pundits as electioneering, following a byelection win in former prime minister Boris Johnson's old constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, which came on the back of a campaign focused on the controversial Ulez charge.

Net zero is not a widely understood concept in the UK. (Statista)

Sunak appears to be hoping that his direct opposition to Labour's stance on the issue (the party has pledged to ban new domestic oil and gas developments) will be a vote winner.

But by pushing back decisions on the climate and backing new oilfields in the North Sea, Sunak may be causing further problems for himself - with campaign groups warning of legal issues over Rosebank.

Tessa Khan, executive director of campaign group Uplift, said: “By approving Rosebank, Rishi Sunak has confirmed he couldn’t care less about climate change.

She told Politico: “There are strong grounds to believe that the way this government has come to this decision is unlawful and we will see them in court if so."

Ineos founder condemns UK’s ‘irresponsible’ lack of energy policy


Paul Cargill, PA Scotland
Wed, 27 September 2023

In this article:
Jim Ratcliffe
British chemical engineer turned financier and industrialist


Ineos boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe has hit out at what he sees as the UK’s “total lack” of an energy policy, which he branded “completely irresponsible”.

The billionaire owner of the chemicals group accused the UK Government of seeking to discourage local oil and gas production and making the country reliant on supplies from overseas producers.

He made the remarks as he revealed his company’s Forties Pipeline System (FPS) has seen North Sea oil flows drop by 40% over the last six years.


The FPS moves 40% of the UK’s oil from the North Sea through to Grangemouth, where it is processed for distribution throughout the UK.

Ineos has been forced to close a third of the system’s processing capacity as a result of the recent reduction in oil flow, Sir Jim said, potentially threatening hundreds of jobs that depend on it.

He blamed the decline on a combination of windfall taxes and “negative signals” he claims politicians have been making about the future of the North Sea in recent times.

Sir Jim argued the “worrying” decline puts UK consumers “at the mercy” of foreign producers and is causing huge volatility in energy prices, pushing ever increasing numbers of people into fuel poverty.

Expanding on his themes, he said the main reason for the recent decline was a lack of investment in new oil and gas fields caused by companies having less cash after paying new windfall taxes.

Sir Jim said the problem was made worse by “mixed messages” coming from UK politicians, which he said further undermine companies’ willingness to invest in the North Sea.

He said: “The UK’s total lack of an energy policy is completely irresponsible.

“Whilst the rest of the world is encouraging local oil and gas production, the UK seems intent on destroying it through high taxes and disincentives, making us totally reliant on overseas supplies and losing billions in potential revenue.

The Ineos refinery in Grangemouth (PA)

“The rest of the world has understood that we will need oil and gas for the next 30 years and is incentivising production through sensible taxation.

“The UK is doing the opposite and seems intent on rapidly destroying North Sea production through a mixture of negative comments and punitive windfall taxes.”

Sir Jim made his remarks on the day it emerged the North Sea Transition Authority had granted production and development consent for the Rosebank oil field north-west of Shetland.

The field is believed to contain up to 350 million barrels of oil and is currently thought to be one of the largest untapped finds in UK waters.

Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho said: “The jobs and billions of pounds this is worth to our economy will enable us to have greater energy independence, making us more secure against tyrants like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.

“We will continue to back the UK’s oil and gas industry to underpin our energy security, grow our economy and help us deliver the transition to cheaper, cleaner energy.”

Gordon Brown advocates for rejoining EU while backing Starmer’s Brexit approach

Martina Bet, PA Political Staff
Tue, 26 September 2023 

Gordon Brown has reiterated his stance on Britain rejoining the European Union while endorsing Sir Keir Starmer’s pragmatic approach to handling Brexit.

The former Labour prime minister told an audience in London that many people “feel very frustrated” the UK is outside the EU.

He pointed out that Brexit has already had tangible effects on the British economy, citing statistics from the London School of Economics (LSE) that attribute a third of the rise in food prices to the country’s exit from the bloc.

Mr Brown made his comments during a Guardian Live event about his forthcoming book Permacrisis: A Plan To Fix A Fractured World, which addresses various pressing global challenges, including the escalating climate crisis, geopolitical tensions like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rising nationalism, surging inflation and growing inequality.

Despite expressing his belief that rejoining the EU is crucial for the prosperity and stability of the UK, the former PM commended the efforts of the Labour Party leader to build bridges and make the public aware of the complexities involved in rejoining.

Told by newspaper columnist Jonathan Freedland “you are one of the very few major figures in the country who has said Britain should rejoin the European Union”, Mr Brown said: “I have always said it.

“I can see it from Scotland as well as from London, people in other parts of the country, as well as London, many voted to stay in the European Union and feel very frustrated we are outside it.

“Now, I accept that is going to be a difficult road back and I also accept what Keir Starmer is trying to do to build bridges, but at the same time making sure that people understand the problems that he faces as a result of that.

“But I would be talking about trade agreements between America and Britain and Europe and America at the moment, and I’d be talking about the danger to our economy if we actually become isolationist and protectionist.

“I do think people will begin to understand that when they see the price of food, I mean … a third of the rise in the food price according to LSE, London School of Economics, is caused by Brexit, so people are starting to see the effects on the household budgets of what is happening.”

Mr Brown underscored the importance of scientific collaboration such as Horizon Europe and the benefits of initiatives like the student exchange programme Erasmus. He also suggested exploring joint ventures with institutions like the European Investment Bank to address the nation’s “massive infrastructure needs”.

The former Labour leader dismissed the idea that if Britain were to join, it would have to adopt the single currency, suggesting that French president Emmanuel Macron’s proposal for a political community, larger than the EU, suggests a different kind of European integration.

Gordon Brown has called on people to give Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer a chance (Gareth Fuller/PA)

“They cannot make it a condition for countries that are not ready to join a single currency to join. So you’re talking about a very different kind of Europe but the principle remains the same, that we are better off when we co-operate”, he said.

On whether Sir Keir should be bolder and point out that the UK is worse off with Brexit, Mr Brown joked: “Well, I’m not the best person to give advice about winning an election, am I?”

He added: “I gotta be realistic. I can put it down to many things, but I’ve got to take some responsibility myself.

“So, I think as I said earlier, the best advice to Keir Starmer is not to take my advice. I think you’ll see us being a very internationalist Labour. A very internationalist party.”

Elsewhere during the event, which lasted for around a hour and a half, Mr Brown also urged people to give Sir Keir a “chance”, insisting he is a “really good guy” and the “future”.

Asked if there are any ideological differences between what the Brown-Blair government and Sir Keir, he said: “I do plead with people who look at the politics: give Keir Starmer a chance. He is a really good guy. He is a really good guy.

“I have worked with him over many years. I have seen him at work as director of public prosecution under the Labour government. I’ve seen him when he’s been a spokesman … for the Labour Party. And I’ve seen him as an individual constituency MP and I’ve known him right throughout that period.

“I tell you that his values are values that I respect, are values that can help change Britain, are values that will make us a more socially just country. Keir Starmer is the future.”

LEFT WING FILM MAKER
Ken Loach hits out at Starmer and questions Labour’s antisemitism stance

Martina Bet, PA Political Staff
Wed, 27 September 2023 

British filmmaker Ken Loach has voiced strong criticism of Sir Keir Starmer and Labour’s handling of disputes, especially those related to allegations of antisemitism.

A staunch supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, Loach rejoined the Labour Party in 2017 but faced expulsion in 2021 during the party’s antisemitism crackdown.

He has consistently challenged such allegations, hinting at political motivations aimed at destabilising the leadership of the former Labour leader.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme to discuss his new film The Old Oak, Loach expressed his profound lack of confidence in Sir Keir, suggesting he often backtracks on his statements.

He also claimed Jewish members of the Labour Party are “four times more likely to be expelled than non-Jewish members”.

Asked about Labour’s position on migration, given his new film is a story of two traumatised communities thrown together when a group of Syrian refugees is housed in a neglected former mining village in the north east of England, he said: “I have no confidence in Sir Keir Starmer whatsoever.

“Everything he says he rejects a few months later. I don’t believe a word the man says. And I don’t think people should either.

“They moved so that they are one millimetre closer to the centre than the Tories. I have no trust in Starmer personally or the clique he represents.”

On whether his criticism of Sir Keir stems from the fact that “in your own words, you said you were kicked out of the party”, the director and screenwriter, 87, replied: “It was like an abusive relationship, to be honest.

“I mean, the Labour Party is … its whole processes of dealing with disagreements is very flawed. I mean, it’s something I think BBC News should examine more closely.

“The fact that now, I think, Jewish members of the Labour Party are four times more likely to be expelled than non-Jewish members.”

The interview with BBC presenter Sarah Montague then took a particularly heated turn when she told him the Campaign Against Antisemitism complained to the BBC about their involvement in one of his other films because of his “appalling” views on antisemitism.

In response, Loach accused the public broadcaster of diverting serious conversations into “fraudulent campaigns” aimed at discrediting interviewees.

Ken Loach criticised Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (James Manning/PA)

He said: “Have you got any evidence for that?

“Because otherwise, if you have no evidence, I think you should withdraw it. You’re now purveying another misleading, insulting misrepresentation.”

He went on: “I think the way you and the BBC constantly divert serious conversations into this fraudulent campaign in order to discredit people that you choose to interview on another premise, I think that’s disgraceful.”

Ms Montague told listeners the exchange on whether the BBC should have asked him about allegations of antisemitism was “much, much longer, but as it involved a lot of heat, but not much light, we edited it down”.

She added: “We also asked Labour if Mr Loach was right when he says that Jewish Labour members are four times more likely to be expelled from the party than non-Jewish members.

“A spokesperson came back from Labour saying the implication of deliberate targeting made by Mr Loach is completely false and not based in reality. Indeed, it isn’t even clear from this quote on what statistically reliable basis Mr Loach is attempting to justify such a claim.”

The Labour Party has been approached for comment.

Armenia will be invaded again if West does not stand up to Azerbaijan, warns ambassador

TURKIYE'S CLIENT STATE
Roland Oliphant
Wed, 27 September 2023 

Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh region riding in a truck arrive at the border with Armenia - IRAKLI GEDENIDZE/Reuters

Azerbaijan may launch an invasion of Armenia if the West fails to respond robustly to its takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia’s ambassador to Britain has warned.

Varuzhan Nersesyan said it was probably “too late” to prevent a mass exodus of ethnic Armenians from the enclave, but said firm security guarantees might not be enough to protect the few who remain and avert another war.

“Now that they see the international community’s reaction is a soft one… it’s not excluded that they may be tempted to carry out another attack on the Republic of Armenia,” he told the Telegraph.

“It is a serious situation and here the international community has a preventive and preemptive role to play, not to allow any country that is becoming a bully in international relations to threaten neighbouring countries and to present unfounded territorial claims.”

Azerbaijan launched what it called an “anti-terrorist” operation against an ethnic-Armenian separatist controlled region of Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, on Sept 19.

The assault lasted 24 hours and ended with Azerbaijani forces claiming full control of the region for the first time since a war in the 1990s.

It has resulted in a vast refugee crisis as tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians flee down the narrow mountain road connecting the region with the Republic of Armenia.

Mr Nersesyan said there were now serious concerns in Yerevan about Azerbaijani claims to a so-called Zangezur corridor, which would cross sovereign Armenian territory to link Azerbaijan with an exclave called Nakhchivan.

“There is such a threat, because they have not seen the international community acting throughout the nine months of the inhuman blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh other than calls and statements,” he said.

“The international community needed to react to this in a very robust, harsh, harsh manner.”
Ethnic cleansing

Azerbaijan has denied ethnic cleansing in Karabakh.

Ilham Aliyev, the Azeri president, said last week that Armenians could “finally breathe a sigh of relief” and would be able to vote, receive state education and freely practise their Christian religion in mainly Muslim Azerbaijan.

Many ethnic Armenians say they do not trust such assurances and have fled, in what Armenian officials say is a clear example of ethnic cleansing.

The main road from Karabakh to Armenia has been choked for days by cars carrying refugees.

The Armenian government said 50,000 people, or more than a third of the Nagorno-Karabakh population, had crossed into Armenia as of 11am on Wednesday.

Azerbaijan said it had detained the former head of Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist government as he tried to cross into Armenia.

Ruben Vardanyan, a billionaire businessman who made his fortune in Russia where he owned a major investment bank, moved to Nagorno-Karabakh in 2022 and served as the head of the regional government for several months before stepping down earlier this year.

The crisis has highlighted increasing instability on Russia’s periphery.

Russia is Armenia’s security principal ally and sent about 2,000 peacekeepers to the region to enforce the ceasefire that ended a war in the summer of 2022.

However, the peacekeepers did not prevent Azerbaijan from imposing a nine-month blockade on Nagorno-Karabakh by closing the so-called Lachin corridor, the only road linking it with Armenia. Nor did they contest the Azerbaijani assault last week.

Some analysts have suggested Russia was simply too weak to resist the Azeri attack because it is preoccupied with the war in Ukraine.

Others have suggested the peacekeepers’ inaction points to a secret deal between Baku and Moscow ahead of the assault.

The Russian foreign ministry on Monday accused Nikol Pashinyan, the Armenian prime minister of bringing the disaster on himself by flirting with the West at the expense of traditional ties with Moscow.

Armenian officials insist they continue to honour their alliance with Russia and have denied “flirting” with anyone.

But Mr Nersesyan said Yerevan would be “reassessing” its security arrangements in the aftermath of the conflict because the “current arrangements clearly have not worked.”

Baku says that it wants locals to stay and accept Azeri citizenship.

Roads have been choked with cars amid the mass exodus of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh - IRAKLI GEDENIDZE/Reuters

Russia’s failure to enforce the ceasefire leaves Yerevan diplomatically isolated.

Nato is not likely to assist it because Turkey, a key member of the alliance, is a close ally of Azerbaijan.

Baku has also built close ties with other Western powers in recent years, portraying itself as a reliable security partner and energy supplier.

Western officials have demanded access for international observers to ensure Azerbaijan keeps its promises but have also shied away from harsh criticism of Baku.

Samantha Power, the head of USAID, on Tuesday refused twice to use the term “ethnic cleansing” when asked by journalists whether that was what was going on.

She said there were “very troubling reports of violence against civilians”, adding, “There are a range of options under consideration,” when asked whether Azerbaijan might face consequences for its action.

The European Commission in a statement on Tuesday expressed concern for those who “had decided to flee,” but made no mention of what they were fleeing.

It issued an amended statement on Wednesday expressing “solidarity with those who had no choice but to flee.”

Mr Nersesyan declined to criticise the Commission or Ms Power, who he called “a great friend of Armenia.”

But he added: “Of course we wish the West called things with their own name. It is ethnic cleansing, whichever way it is trying to conceal and decorate it with fake notions of reintegration.”

Revealed: Europe’s role in the making of Russia killer drones


Daniel Boffey Chief reporter
Wed, 27 September 2023

Iranian kamikaze drones used in the latest attacks on Ukrainian cities are filled with European components, according to a secret document sent by Kyiv to its western allies in which it appeals for long-range missiles to attack production sites in Russia, Iran and Syria.

In a 47-page document submitted by Ukraine’s government to the G7 governments in August, it is claimed there were more than 600 raids on cities using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) containing western technology in the previous three months.

According to the paper, obtained by the Guardian, 52 electrical components manufactured by western companies were found in the Shahed-131 drone and 57 in the Shahed-136 model, which has a flight range of 2,000km (1,240 miles) and cruising speed of 180kmh (111mph).


Five European companies including a Polish subsidiary of a British multinational are named as the original manufacturers of the identified components.

“Among the manufacturers are companies headquartered in the countries of the sanctions coalition: the United States, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Japan, and Poland,” it claims.

Firefighters work to put out a fire in a supermarket during a Russian drone and missile strike in Odesa. Photograph: Defence Forces Southern Ukraine/Reuters

According to the document, Iran has already diversified its production through the use of a Syrian factory delivering to the Russian port of Novorossiysk but the production of drones is shifting to Russia, to the central Tartar region of Alabuga, although Tehran continues to supply the components.

It says the Iranian government is trying to “disassociate itself from providing Russia with weapons” and “cannot cope with Russian demand and the intensity of use in Ukraine”.

Among the suggestions for action by Ukraine’s western allies – at which they would probably baulk – are “missile strikes on the production plants of these UAVs in Iran, Syria, as well as on a potential production site in the Russian federation”.

The document goes on: “The above may be carried out by the Ukrainian defence forces if partners provide the necessary means of destruction.”

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the western companies whose parts have been identified. “Iranian UAV production has adapted and mostly uses available commercial components, the supply of which is poorly or not controlled at all,” the paper says.Interactive

Customs information is said by the Ukrainian report to show that “almost all the imports to Iran originated from Turkey, India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Costa Rica”.

Bart Groothuis, an MEP who sits on the European parliament’s defence and security subcommittee, said there had been insufficient coordination among the EU’s intelligence services to grapple with the misuse of western components. “I think many European intelligence agencies aren’t even looking at sanctions,” he said.

The Ukrainian government document – “Barrage deaths: report on Shahed-136/131 UAVs” – provides the most up to date analysis of Russia’s changing drone tactics and production plans since the first use of Shahed drones was recorded in the Kharkiv region on 13 September 2022, in the city of Kupiansk. It claims:

A pause in attacks that lasted from 17 November to 7 December was “likely due to the adaptation of drones designed for a warm climate to the Ukrainian winter”, and this “may indicate additional cooperation between Russia and Iran in the production and modernization of the Shahed-136/131”.


Deliveries of Shahed-136/131 UAVs from Iran to Russia take place across the Caspian Sea. “From Tehran, the drones are delivered to the Iranian port of Amirabad, from where they are shipped to the Russian port city of Makhachkala.”


The markings on the electronic components on drones used in Ukraine in recent months had been destroyed, “probably with the use of a laser”, and the Russian forces have started using the names Geranium-1 and Geranium-2 for the drones, which is “likely part of an agreement between Iran and Russia to conceal Iran’s role”.


In early July, a new Shahed-136 model marked “Y002” was shot down in Ukraine, which “may have been assembled at a new production facility in Russia”. The sample is said to have had a different wing moulding, which “may also indicate production at a new location”.


Russia and Iran are “already working on a new engine for the Shahed-136, which should provide better speed and range”.

A wide range of components produced by western companies have been found in the downed drone models, according to the submission to the G7, which comprises France, the US, the UK, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada, plus the EU.

A fuel pump manufactured in Poland by the German company Ti Automotive GmbH, of which the British multinational TI Fluid Systems is the parent company, was discovered in a Shahed-136, as well as a microcontroller with built-in flash memory and a very low-voltage drop regulator with inhibitor made by the Swiss firm STMicroelectronics, according to the paper.

Also discovered in a Shahed-136, was an integrated circuit of a buffer network driver and a transistor made by International Rectifier, a subsidiary of the German firm Infineon Technologies AG.

TI Fluid Systems did not respond to a request for comment. Their equipment is freely available to buy from retailers across Europe and the company has previously said it does not sell into Iran.

A drone explodes during a Russian strike in Kyiv. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters

A spokesperson for STMicroelectronics said: “We work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners around the world. We do not authorise or condone the use of our products outside of their intended purpose.

“We have a comprehensive global trade compliance programme through which we comply with all international trade rules and regulations. We have an internal export control compliance programme that contains training and procedures to assure compliance with various export controls regulations. As part of that programme, we provide guidelines to our sales channels to assure each party in our supply chain understands its responsibility to comply with applicable laws and regulations.”

A spokesperson for Infineon said it did not sell components to Iran and it had liquidated its operation in Russia in March last year.

He said: “In general, compliance with applicable laws is of utmost importance for Infineon, and we have established robust policies and processes to comply with these laws. We instruct our customers including distributors to only conduct consecutive sales in line with applicable rules.

“It proves difficult to control sales throughout the entire lifetime of a product. Still, we have taken extensive measures at our disposal to ensure compliance with sanctions against Russia aiming to not only comply with the letter but also with the spirit of the sanctions.”

In the Shahed-131 model, the Ukrainian experts identified a 14-channel, customisable integrated power management circuit and a microprocessor made by the Dutch company NXP Semiconductor and a power transistor and integrated circuit from International Rectifier.

The aftermath of a drone attack on an oil depot in the Rivne region of western Ukraine. Photograph: Rivne Region Prosecutor’S Office Handout/EPA

A 32-bit microcontroller, a 32-bit processor, a microcontroller with built-in flash memory and a very low-voltage drop regulator with inhibitor made by STMicroelectronics was also found, and a GPS tracker chip made by the Swiss firm U-blox.

A spokesperson for U-blox said: “U-blox strongly condemns the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Immediately after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, U-blox stopped all sales to Russia, Belarus and the territories occupied by the Russian army in Ukraine, irrespective of the intended use. Recently, U-blox has also decided not to sell to members of the Eurasian Economic Union (a free trade zone with Russia).

Related: The Ukrainian experts dismantling bombs for clues to Putin’s arms supply

“Since 2002, U-blox has had in place a strict company policy that its products must not be used in weapons or weapon systems – including systems for target identification.”

A spokesperson for NXP Semiconductor said it was seeking new ways to avoid the misuse of its technology.

She said: “We do not tolerate the use of our products in Russian or Iranian weapons, or any other application our products were not designed or licensed for. We continue to comply with export control and sanctions laws in the countries where we operate and we do not support any business in or with Russia, Belarus and other embargoed countries, including Iran. Our team is in ongoing contact with regulators around the world on this issue as we explore additional measures to help neutralise illegal chip diversion.”

A government spokesperson said: “We have introduced the largest and most severe economic sanctions ever imposed on a major economy, wholly or partially sanctioned over 96% of goods traded with Russia in 2021.

“We are clear that any UK company or their subsidiaries that are found to be selling or exporting sanctioned goods to Russia, directly or indirectly, could be in breach of sanctions law and could face a heavy fine or imprisonment.

“We are working closely with partners to coordinate measures and keep our sanctions under review – including addressing issues around potential circumvention.”

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Scientists linked to Wuhan lab accused of performing dangerous experiments that could cause leak


Sarah Knapton
Wed, 27 September 2023 

P4 laboratory in Wuhan, capital of China's Hubei province.

Scientists linked to Wuhan bat researchers have been accused of performing dangerous experiments on a Mers-like virus that could spark a pandemic.

A team from the University of North Carolina published a paper in Science Advances on Wednesday detailing how they had synthesised a Mers-like bat virus, and used it to infect human cells and humanised mice.

Mers is one of the deadliest viruses, killing around 35 per cent of people that it infects.

The team includes Professor Ralph Baric and Trevor Scobey who worked with Professor Shi Zhengli, of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, before the pandemic creating chimeric viruses by inserting spike proteins from bat viruses into the original Sars virus.

The new experiment used a ‘reverse genetics’ technique to recreate a Mers-like bat virus called BtCoV-422 which was collected by Shi Zhengli’s team in China in 2019.

The scientists said they had performed the latest study to test whether antivirals would work against an infection, but experts warned the experiments were needlessly risky for little gain.

‘Potentially devastating’ and ‘not justified’

Anton van der Merwe, Professor of Molecular Immunology, at Oxford University told the Telegraph: “Because coronaviruses evolve rapidly, these experiments carry the risk of generating variants which are better able to infect human cells and therefore humans.

“Human and equipment error means that infection of those performing the experiments is a risk, and the infected individual could then spread the infection outside the laboratory and initiate a pandemic.

“While the risk is relatively low, the consequences would be potentially devastating and it is not clear to me what the benefits are.

“There is no prospect of using such work to develop a vaccine or antiviral drug since these can only be tested in humans during an actual pandemic. It seems to me this experiment is simply not justified.”

Prof Baric developed the ‘reverse genetics’ technique which not only enables a virus to be brought to life from its genetic code, but allows scientists to ‘mix and match’ parts from other viruses.

In the new experiments, the team found that the virus ‘replicated efficiently’ in human airway and lung cells and caused infections in mice but that antivirals were somewhat effective.

However, experts said that the same experiments could have been carried out by inserting the spike protein of BtCoV-422 into a harmless pseudovirus.

“Pseudovirus experiments should have been the first things they did, before making this live virus,” one scientist who chose to remain anonymous said.

“They went straight to testing the live virus in human cell culture. And they performed experiments in humanised mice – which presents a higher risk of escape than just cell culture.

“If I had seen these sorts of results for pseudovirus, I would have said that it should stop there: the virus is a potential threat. Don’t proceed to using alive virus.”

Marc Lipsitch, Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard University, who has campaigned against dangerous laboratory work, also said it was unclear why they team had created a live virus.

“It is worth asking them why they created in the lab a virus that they hypothesised had the capacity to infect humans when they could have done it more safely with pseudoviruses,” he said.

“It is not clear to me why they couldn’t use pseudoviruses to answer the question, though I would be open to learning the answer.”

Experts also warned that the experiments were performed at Biosafety Level (BSL) 3 level rather than the highest BSL-4 safety level.

“Accidental releases from BSL-3 labs are unfortunately quite common,” added Prof Van der Merwe.

“Experiments on potentially pandemic organisms should only be performed if there are clear benefits to humanity and should be performed at the very highest level of containment.”

The Telegraph has approached the study authors for comment.

THE 2019 COVID VIRUS GENETIC CODE 

India ‘weaponising global anti-terror fund’ to crack down on civil society groups, Amnesty says


Arpan Rai
Wed, 27 September 2023

 People hold a cutout depicting Indian prime minister Narendra Modi during a Sikh rally outside the Indian consulate a in Toronto (AFP via Getty Images)

The Indian government has exploited the assessment reports of a global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog to target “legitimate human rights work of civil society”, a new report by Amnesty International said.

The country has abused recommendations provided internationally by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to crackdown on terrorism financing and money laundering under the Narendra Modi administration, the international human rights group said in its latest report on Wednesday.

This has been done under the “guise of combating terrorism”, Amnesty International’s India chair Aakar Patel said.


“The Indian government has leveraged the Financial Action Task Force’s recommendations (from 2010 and 2013) to tighten its arsenal of financial and counter-terrorism laws which are routinely misused to target and silence critics,” he said in a statement.

India should be held accountable by the FATF “for the persistent weaponisation of its recommendations”, he added.

Indian officials have not issued an immediate response on the charges in the latest report by Amnesty International.

Human rights groups and political opponents have accused Mr Modi of stifling dissent and introducing divisive policies that discriminate against Muslims and other minorities, in addition to the conviction of his political opponent Rahul Gandhi.

Authorities in India have brought in draconian laws in a coordinated campaign to stifle the non-profit sector, the findings revealed.

A total of 37 countries are part of the FATF, including the United States, and two regional groups, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Commission. Currently, only Iran and North Korea are blacklisted.

Data by Amnesty showed that more than 20,600 NGOs have had their licences cancelled in India in the last ten years, with nearly 6,000 of these cancellations seen since the beginning of 2022.

Indian officials have also misused these laws to bring “terrorism-related charges and, amongst other things, to prevent organisations and activists from accessing essential funds”, Amnesty said.

In its latest findings, Amnesty International found that 11 out of 16 NGOs in India working on issues of minorities, marginalised groups and climate change confirmed arbitrary renunciation of their foreign contribution licences through suspensions, cancellations and non-renewals.

This was done on the grounds of vague reasons by the Indian authorities who accused them of “bringing disrepute to public institutions”, working against public or national interest” or alluding to their human rights work.

Most of the NGOs in India have reduced their staff by 50 to 80 per cent. “Almost all our programmes have been shut down… (We are) surviving just to fight the legal cases that have been filed against us,” an activist told Amnesty International.

The latest findings also stated that Indian authorities have ignored calls by United Nations’ special rapporteurs terming India’s own anti-terrorism law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act as they flagged its provisions to be in violation of FATF’s guiding principles.

The Indian law’s provisions also violated international human rights law and standards, they said.

“The Indian authorities have ignored all such calls and have continued to apply these laws in a discriminatory manner against dissenting voices such as Muslim student activist Umar Khalid, Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez, journalist Irfan Mehraj and 16 others (in the Bhima Koregaon case), ten of whom continue to be detained since 2018 without trial on allegations of ‘funding terrorism’, amongst other charges,” the Amnesty International said.

One such law under the Modi administration – Prevention of Money Laundering Act – has been used to target Amnesty International, forcing them to halt operations in the country in September 2020.

“The FATF must not allow these laws to be used by the Indian authorities to systematically erode the rights to freedom of association and freedom of expression in the country, particularly of civil society actors and religious minorities,” Mr Patel said.