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Bob Vylan presented hatred as virtue and the crowd was seduced

Bob Vylan presented hatred as virtue and the crowd was seduced

Timesa day ago
T here are moments in history when the veil is pulled back — when we glimpse not just a lapse in judgment, but a rupture in the moral fabric of our society. Glastonbury 2025 was such a moment.
When I responded to the appalling events at the Somerset festival last weekend by referring to them as 'vile Jew hatred', I was giving voice to what many in the Jewish community have known for a long time. That the kind of rhetoric heard in the punk duo Bob Vylan's chant of 'Death, death to the IDF' — the Israel Defence Forces — though clothed in the guise of justice and liberation, is no more than thinly veiled anti-Jewish hatred.
However, it has been disturbing to read the responses of many last week who were unwilling to accept this characterisation, and unable to distinguish between reasoned criticism on the one hand, and outright antisemitic incitement on the other.
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Post Office scandal: Victims say government's control of redress schemes should be taken away
Post Office scandal: Victims say government's control of redress schemes should be taken away

Sky News

time37 minutes ago

  • Sky News

Post Office scandal: Victims say government's control of redress schemes should be taken away

Post Office scandal victims are calling for redress schemes to be taken away from the government completely, ahead of the public inquiry publishing its first findings. Phase 1, which is due back on Tuesday, will report on the human impact of what happened as well as compensation schemes. "Take (them) off the government completely," says Jo Hamilton OBE, a high-profile campaigner and former sub-postmistress, who was convicted of stealing from her branch in 2008. "It's like the fox in charge of the hen house," she adds, "because they were the only shareholders of Post Office". "So they're in it up to their necks... So why should they be in charge of giving us financial redress?" Jo and others are hoping Sir Wyn Williams, chairman of the public statutory inquiry, will make recommendations for an independent body to take control of redress schemes. The inquiry has been examining the Post Office scandal which saw more than 700 people wrongfully convicted between 1999 and 2015. Sub-postmasters were forced to pay back false accounting shortfalls because of the faulty IT system, Horizon. At the moment, the Department for Business and Trade administers most of the redress schemes including the Horizon Conviction Redress Scheme and the Group Litigation Order (GLO) Scheme. The Post Office is still responsible for the Horizon Shortfall scheme. Lee Castleton OBE, another victim of the scandal, was bankrupted in 2007 when he lost his case in the civil courts representing himself against the Post Office. The civil judgment against him, however, still stands. "It's the oddest thing in the world to be an OBE, fighting for justice, while still having the original case standing against me," he tells Sky News. While he has received an interim payment he has not applied to a redress scheme. "The GLO scheme - that's there on the table for me to do," he says, "but I know that they would use my original case, still standing against me, in any form of redress. "So they would still tell me repeatedly that the court found me to be liable and therefore they only acted on the court's outcome." He agrees with other victims who want the inquiry this week to recommend "taking the bad piece out" of redress schemes. "The bad piece is the company - Post Office Limited," he continues, "and the government - they need to be outside. "When somebody goes to court, even if it's a case against the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), when they go to court DBT do not decide what the outcome is. "A judge decides, a third party decides, a right-minded individual a fair individual, that's what needs to happen." Mr Castleton is also taking legal action against the Post Office and Fujitsu - the first individual victim to sue the organisations for compensation and "vindication" in court. "I want to hear why it happened, to hear what I believe to be the truth, to hear what they believe to be the truth and let the judge decide." Neil Hudgell, a lawyer for victims, said he expects the first inquiry report this week may be "really rather damning" of the redress claim process describing "inconsistencies", "bureaucracy" and "delays". "The over-lawyeringness of it," he adds, "the minute analysis, micro-analysis of detail, the inability to give people fully the benefit of doubt. "All those things I think are going to be part and parcel of what Sir Wynn says about compensation. "And we would hope, not going to say expect because history's not great, we would hope it's a springboard to an acceleration, a meaningful acceleration of that process." 11:28 A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said they were "grateful" for the inquiry's work describing "the immeasurable suffering" victims endured. Their statement continued: "This government has quadrupled the total amount paid to affected postmasters to provide them with full and fair redress, with more than £1bn having now been paid to thousands of claimants. "We will also continue to work with the Post Office, who have already written to over 24,000 postmasters, to ensure that everyone who may be eligible for redress is given the opportunity to apply for it."

MP recalls childhood abuse as he calls for law change to make domestic abuse a specific criminal offence
MP recalls childhood abuse as he calls for law change to make domestic abuse a specific criminal offence

Sky News

timean hour ago

  • Sky News

MP recalls childhood abuse as he calls for law change to make domestic abuse a specific criminal offence

Why you can trust Sky News An MP who decided until recently to "never speak" about the abuse he suffered as a child has shared his harrowing story so that "no kid has to go through" what he did. Josh Babarinde describes being physically abused by his mother's former partner from the age of four, and remembers crying himself to sleep under the covers "hearing shouts, hearing screams and things smash". He says he became hypervigilant growing up and felt safe at school but "like he was treading on eggshells" in his own home. The Eastbourne MP, who is also the Liberal Democrats' justice spokesperson, says his experience has driven his politics. He is calling on the government to stop abusers "slipping through the net" and being released from prison early. Opening up about his story in his twenties was "difficult" but looking back, Mr Babarinde says, he is "so proud of the resilience of that kid". The MP recently found his childhood diary containing Star Wars drawings alongside an entry he wrote from the bathroom. The diary, he recalls, wrote: "I'm really going to try to go (to the toilet) but I can't. Oh my goodness, I'm gonna be in so much trouble, I'm going to get smacked so hard." Then an entry five minutes later: "I still haven't done anything, I'm going to be in so much trouble." He says reading the entry reminded him of how "helpless" he felt. "It was mortifying," he says. "An abuser takes away your sense of self-worth." The 32-year-old is calling on the government to change the law to make domestic abuse a specific criminal offence. The change would mean, he argues, abusers can no longer effectively disguise their history under other offences like assault. He says the Ministry of Justice's early release scheme, which has seen thousands of prisoners released early to ease overcrowding, has failed to exclude domestic abusers despite government promises because there is no formal categorisation for offenders. It is impossible, he argues, to know exactly how many domestic abusers are in prison currently so perpetrators are "slipping through the net" on early release. 2:39 Mr Babarinde says the uncertainty means victims and survivors are not able to prepare for their abuser's release. He said: "They might need to move house or move their kids to a new school, shop in different places. All of these kind of things are so important, and so that's why that commitment the government made was so important." A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: "Our thoughts are with all victims of domestic abuse - it takes immense courage to speak out.

Palestine Action 'sets up a secret website' to recruit new members as support of terror group becomes criminal offence
Palestine Action 'sets up a secret website' to recruit new members as support of terror group becomes criminal offence

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Palestine Action 'sets up a secret website' to recruit new members as support of terror group becomes criminal offence

Palestine Action has created a secret website to recruit activists in an attempt to thwart the Government's terror ban on the group. The organisation is directing its supporters to a secret platform under the name Direct Action Training. Under the website, which was registered late on Friday, just before the ban took effect at midnight, Palestine Action has been privately messaging potential recruits encouraging them to 'join the front line against Zionism', The Telegraph reports. The recruitment message, which was sent on the encrypted app Signal, declares: 'While Palestine Action is banned, we do not want this draconian move from the Home Secretary to deter your dedication to your solidarity with Palestine'. 'Direct action is for everyone, regardless of the name it falls under. We do believe that by staying focused and targeting the heart of the war machine again and again, the people will be able to shut the Zionist supply chain.' The website for Direct Training has its IP address in Iceland, which is not a part of any major international surveillance alliances and is known for its strong data protection laws. To register with the website, prospective recruits are required to fill out a form in which they are asked 14 questions ranging from their personal details to testing their 'dedication to the Palestinian cause'. The form also notes that training be aimed at 'dismantling the Zionist war machine in the UK'. The move comes after the Home Office on Friday welcomed a ban on Palestine Action, with the group failing to block its proscription as a terrorist organisation in a late-night legal bid. Lawyers representing co-founder Huda Ammori, whose father is Palestinian, asked for the decision to be delayed at least until July 21. The designation as a terror group means that membership of or support for Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Palestine Action argues it is a protest group that has never incited or encouraged violence, but does support civil disobedience. Activists protest against the continuing war in Gaza, which has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians since October 7 - when 1,200 Israelis were killed by a Hamas incursion into the country. Police on Saturday arrested almost 30 people on suspicion of terrorism offences after protesters gathered in Parliament Square holding signs supporting Palestine Action, just hours after a ban on the came into effect. Around two dozen people, including a priest, professor and an emergency care worker who is just back from Gaza, sat in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament Square on Saturday expressing support for the group, which is now a proscribed terrorist organisation. They held signs saying: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.' Shortly after their arrival, police officers could be seen engaging with the protesters and the Met said it had began making arrests. Several people were seen being carried away by officers. A spokesperson for the force said: 'Officers are responding to a protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square. 'The group is now proscribed and expressing support for them is a criminal offence. Arrests are being made.' They later added: 'A total of 29 arrests were made during this afternoon's protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square. They remain in custody.' Campaign group Defend Our Juries said today's protest will be the first in a series of actions which will see activists take to Parliament Square every week. The Met Police issued a warning ahead of the protest, stating there are a number of events taking place in London this weekend and 'anyone attending should be aware that officers policing these will act where criminal offences, including those related to support of proscribed groups or organisations, are committed'. Proscription makes it a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT) to invite or express support for an organisation through chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos, the Met said. It is also illegal to belong to the organisation or publish similar signs of support online. Police arresting protesters in Parliament Square were met with cries of 'Met Police you are puppets of the Zionist state' and 'leave them alone'.

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