Ex-Arsenal kit man to sue club after ‘sacking for pro-Palestine comments'
Mark Bonnick, 61, had been with the north London club for 22 years until he was 'fired abruptly' on Christmas Eve over what he has claimed were false allegations of antisemitism.
On Friday representatives of the European Legal Support Center said that Bonnick had filed a claim against Arsenal for unfair dismissal.
To bring the claim the centre has instructed a barrister, Franck Magennis, of Garden Court chambers in London. It emerged last month that Magennis was one of three lawyers who were representing Hamas in its appeal against the UK government's decision to designate it as a
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BBC News
4 minutes ago
- BBC News
Kemi Badenoch: I don't identify as Nigerian any more
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said she no longer identifies as Nigerian and has not renewed her passport since the early who was born in the UK, grew up in both Nigeria and the US. She returned to England aged 16 because of Nigeria's worsening political and economic climate, and to continue her on former MP and television presenter Gyles Brandreth's Rosebud podcast, she said she was "Nigerian through ancestry" though "by identity, I'm not really".Last year, Badenoch faced criticism from Nigeria's vice president who said she had "denigrated" the West African country. Badenoch, who lived in Lagos, spoke at length about her upbringing on the podcast. "I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there, and I'm very interested in what happens there. But home is where my now family is."On not renewing her passport, she said: "I don't identify with it any more, most of my life has been in the UK and I've just never felt the need to.""I'm Nigerian through ancestry, by birth, despite not being born there because of my parents... but by identity I'm not really," she added. Badenoch said when she visited the country when her father died she had to get a visa, which was "a big fandango".She said her early experiences in Nigeria shaped her political outlook, including "why I don't like socialism".As a child "I remember never quite feeling that I belonged there", she went on, saying she recalled "coming back to the UK in 1996 thinking this is home".At the end of last year, Badenoch was criticised for saying she had grown up in fear and insecurity in Nigeria, which was plagued by corruption. The country's vice president Kashim Shettima responded, saying his government was "proud" of Badenoch "in spite of her efforts at denigrating her nation of origin". A spokesperson for Badenoch rebuffed the criticism.
The Herald Scotland
29 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Viral photo of 'starving' child in Gaza is misleading
This has led President Donald Trump to say he wanted to boost U.S. humanitarian efforts in war-torn Gaza. Hamas terrorists in Gaza started the war on Oct. 7, 2023, when they attacked Israel, slaughtering and kidnapping hundreds of Israeli citizens. Palestinian civilians are now paying the price for those atrocities. Opinion: Trump is racking up GOP wins no one else could. What do Never Trumpers say now? "We can save a lot of people," Trump said July 28, while meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland. "I mean, some of those kids are - that's real starvation stuff. I see it, and you can't fake it." But what if you can? New York Times does damage control after misleading image The photograph of one mother and child in particular has created a firestorm. The New York Times published a lengthy report online about alleged starvation in Gaza on July 24, featuring 18-month-old Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq. Photos show a child in distress, with his bones painfully visible. His mother tries to comfort him. The Times then ran the story on its print front page July 25, with the photo of the child and his mother as the leading image. The caption says the child was "born healthy" but is suffering from "severe malnutrition." Yet, it turned out there was more to the story. Five days after the story was published, on July 29, The Times issued an editor's note (buried at the bottom of the article) as well as a brief statement on its communications social media page that offered readers much-needed context. The note "clarifies" that the child suffers from serious "pre-existing health problems." "We have since learned new information, including from the hospital that treated him and his medical records, and have updated our story to add context about his pre-existing health problems," a Times spokesperson said in the statement. "This additional detail gives readers a greater understanding of his situation." That's putting it mildly. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. The Times certainly wasn't alone in running images of Mohammed. Others, including CNN, did as well. After all, a picture paints a thousand words. And these photos went viral, making Mohammed the face of starving children across Gaza. It also buoyed the narrative pushed by the media and progressives that Israel is at fault for blocking aid from flowing to the Palestinians in need. Opinion: Sydney Sweeney's jeans ad triggers liberals. She looks good. They don't. Too many journalists have abandoned truth for advocacy But thanks to the reporting of independent journalists and pushback from Israel officials, the truth has come out. The state of Israel posted on social media another photograph of the mother and child, which features the child's older brother, who appears healthy. The contrast makes it clear that there's much more contributing to Mohammed's condition than lack of food. "BBC, CNN, Daily Express, and The New York Times spread a misleading story using a picture of a sick, disabled child to promote a narrative of mass starvation in Gaza - playing into the hands of Hamas's propaganda war," the post states. Share your opinion: Are you concerned about starvation in Gaza? Should US do more to help? Tell us. | Opinion Forum Americans deserve the full story. For instance, David Makovsky, director of the program on Arab-Israel Relations at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, recently pointed out on X that a United Nations report shows that "87% of its 2,010 food trucks in Gaza (85% by tonnage) from May 19-July 29 were 'intercepted' - either peacefully by crowds or forcefully by armed actors." In other words, Hamas is intercepting food meant for civilians. That's worth reporting. Trump is right to feel empathy for the innocent civilians in Gaza, especially the children. But it's Hamas who deserves the blame for their plight - not Israel. As Trump noted in a July 31 Truth Social post, "The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!" The truth is that Hamas is using the suffering of those who live under its grip to try to achieve its aims. That's the real tragedy. Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@ or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques
The Guardian
31 minutes ago
- The Guardian
A large pro-Palestine protest has won legal right to march across Harbour Bridge. How will the shutdown affect Sydney?
A pro-Palestine protest that plans to march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge will go ahead with legal protection after its organisers won a supreme court challenge. The court heard up to 50,000 people were expected to attend – the same number of people who marched across the bridge for World Pride in 2023. New South Wales police sought powers to move on protesters and expressed serious concerns about the disruption a large protest on the bridge would have on the city. But Justice Belinda Rigg said disruption and inconvenience alone were not enough to stifle the right to political protest and noted 'significant support for the march'. Here are some answers to questions you may have about the march, including its planned route, transport disruptions and potential risks. The ruling means protesters will have immunity from being charged under the Summary Offences Act. This includes protection from offences like 'obstructing traffic' – crucial in this particular protest. However, police will still have access to a range of other powers to stem what the court described as 'antisocial behaviour' or other types of offending. This includes showing prohibited symbols. David Mejia-Canales, a senior lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre, said the authorisation 'doesn't give people the ability to engage in all types and all forms of activism'. 'It's really important for people who do attend that they follow the directions of organisers and marshals.' There is no authority to ban protest or deem it unlawful in NSW. This is because, while there is no express right to protest in the state, it is covered in common law and by the Australian constitution, which the high court has found implies the right to freedom of political communication. The protest will begin at 1pm on Sunday at Lang Park in Sydney's CBD. Protesters will then march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge into north Sydney. Early plans shared with protesters stated the march would end at the US consulate, but this may change. The protest is expected to last several hours. The bridge will be closed to traffic from about 11.30am. Police hope it will reopen to traffic from about 4pm. They have advised people to avoid the CBD and travel in the city unless necessary. Yes, but NSW police will comply with the court's decision and say they are working with protest organisers to address issues and concerns. A significant police presence will be in the city, including officers brought in from across the suburbs. The force has said it will also use specialist resources, including the public order and riot squad and mounted police. Police have advised the public to expect significant disruptions in and around the CBD. A counter protest against antisemitism, organised by the Christian-led group Never Again is Now, will not be granted legal protection because, according to the supreme court, 'notice was served less than seven days before the proposed assembly'. The group had been planning to protest outside the Sydney harbour tunnel, close to the pro-Palestinian march. Rigg said police would have the legal power to direct this group to move on or, if necessary, arrest demonstrators for non-compliance. These powers will not extend to those marching in the pro-Palestine demonstration. The state government is yet to respond to the supreme court decision. Earlier this week, Chris Minns opposed the protest, saying: 'We cannot allow Sydney to descend into chaos.' But several NSW Labor MPs defied their premier, vowing to attend the march. Labor's Stephen Lawrence, Anthony D'Adam, Lynda Voltz, Cameron Murphy and Sarah Kaine were among 15 NSW politicians who signed an open letter on Thursday evening calling on the government to facilitate 'a safe and orderly event' on Sunday. The state opposition leader, Mark Speakman, said while he respected the freedom to protest, including with rallies and marches, 'allowing the takeover of the Harbour Bridge for a protest in the middle of the day sets the wrong precedent for the future'.
