40 years on from the Brixton riots, the Police Bill could spark a summer of urban unrest
The Canary UK

40 years on from the Brixton riots, the Police Bill could spark a summer of urban unrest

On 10 April 1981, young Brixton residents rose up in response to police oppression, entrenched inequality, and marginalisation. The unrest soon spread to urban centres across the UK. The Scarman Report went some way to identifying the root causes of the rebellions. But successive governments have failed to deal with these issues, and have exacerbated them in many cases. 40 years of cuts and privatisation, an increasingly fascist state, and a devastating pandemic have resulted in a frustrated, volatile population with little to lose. If plans for the proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill go ahead, we could see history repeat itself. The battle for Brixton In 1981, the New…

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10 April 2021
MLK Opposed “Poverty, Racism & Militarism” in Speech One Year Before His Assassination 53 Years Ago
Democracy Now (U.S.A)

MLK Opposed “Poverty, Racism & Militarism” in Speech One Year Before His Assassination 53 Years Ago

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, as we end the show with the words of Dr. Martin Luther King. He was assassinated April 4th, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee — just 39 years old. While Dr. King is primarily celebrated as a civil rights leader, he championed the cause of the poor and organized the Poor People’s Campaign to address issues of economic justice. He was also a fierce critic of U.S. foreign policy and the Vietnam War. We’re going to play a part of his “Beyond Vietnam War” speech, that…

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5 April 2021
Poverty takes up to 20 years of good health away from people in England and Wales
The Canary UK

Poverty takes up to 20 years of good health away from people in England and Wales

People living in the most deprived areas of England face a gap of almost two decades of life in good general health compared with those in the least deprived areas, new figures show. Office for National Statistics (ONS) data published on Monday shows healthy life expectancy at birth among men living in the most deprived areas was 52.3 years in 2017 to 2019, compared with 70.7 years among those living in the least deprived areas. This amounts to a difference of 18.4 years in “good” general health between these populations across their life course. Women in the most deprived areas could expect to live 51.4 years in “good”…

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22 March 2021
NY State Senator Alessandra Biaggi Says Cuomo Has Abused His Power for Years & Must Resign
Democracy Now (U.S.A)

NY State Senator Alessandra Biaggi Says Cuomo Has Abused His Power for Years & Must Resign

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is refusing to step down despite growing calls for his resignation after multiple accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct, as well as his cover-up of thousands of COVID-19 nursing home deaths. Alessandra Biaggi, a New York state senator representing parts of the Bronx and Westchester, says it’s long past time for Cuomo to go and that the many scandals surrounding the governor reveal a consistent pattern. “The governor has not only abused his position of power, but he has used it in a way that is political and as a way to have the executive branch essentially protect himself and not the people…

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16 March 2021
“The Mauritanian”: Film Tells Story of Innocent Man Held at Guantánamo for 14 Years Without Charge
Democracy Now (U.S.A)

“The Mauritanian”: Film Tells Story of Innocent Man Held at Guantánamo for 14 Years Without Charge

A new feature film, “The Mauritanian,” tells the story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a Mauritanian man who was held without charge for 14 years at the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo and repeatedly tortured. We speak with Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who says the film is not just about his struggle. “This is not my movie. This is the movie of so many people,” he says. “Some of the people who were kidnapped after 9/11 were tortured to death. They did not have a chance to tell their story.” We also speak with Kevin Macdonald, director of “The Mauritanian”; Nancy Hollander, the lead lawyer for Mohamedou Ould Slahi; and…

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8 March 2021
“No Hate! No Fear!” Democracy Now! Co-Host Nermeen Shaikh Celebrates 10 Years Covering War & Peace
Democracy Now (U.S.A)

“No Hate! No Fear!” Democracy Now! Co-Host Nermeen Shaikh Celebrates 10 Years Covering War & Peace

This month, Democracy Now! turns 25—that’s 25 years of bringing you the voices and stories you won’t hear in the corporate media. Democracy Now! has always refused to take government or corporate funding, because nothing is more important to us than our editorial independence. Nothing is more important to us than telling you the truth. But that means we rely on you, our audience, for support. Please make your contribution of $25 or more in honor of our 25th anniversary and help us stay on air for another 25 years. Right now, a generous donor will even DOUBLE your gift, which means it’ll go twice as far! This…

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18 February 2021
Mercury plunges to minus 22.9C on coldest UK night in more than 25 years
The Canary UK

Mercury plunges to minus 22.9C on coldest UK night in more than 25 years

Temperatures plunged to below minus 22C overnight, the lowest in the UK in more than two decades, following an “extreme freeze”. The mercury dropped to minus 22.9C (minus 9.2F) in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, the coldest temperature recorded in the UK since 1995, the Met Office said. Forecasters said the last time a temperature below minus 20C was recorded in the UK was December 23 2010. (PA Graphics) Scattered snow showers and some sunshine is forecast for large swathes of the UK over the rest of the day on Thursday. Yellow weather warnings for areas where wintry weather could cause travel disruption have been issued for the morning, covering the…

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11 February 2021
After years of incompetence and destruction, Brazil’s far-right president could finally face impeachment
The Canary UK

After years of incompetence and destruction, Brazil’s far-right president could finally face impeachment

Far-right Brazilian politician Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency has been on a downward spiral ever since he assumed office on 1 January 2019. As The Canary has previously reported, his presidency has seen a sustained assault on Brazil’s indigenous and LGBTQI+ communities as well as a targeted campaign against political opponents and social and trade union organizers. Now, Bolsonaro’s government seems on the verge of collapse as mass mobilizations calling for his impeachment have sprung up across the country – and from across the political spectrum. Evidently, like other far-right faux populist figures, his handling of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has been bumbling at best and homicidal at worst. And…

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26 January 2021
Unemployment rate soars to highest level for more than four years
The Canary UK

Unemployment rate soars to highest level for more than four years

Britain’s jobless rate has soared to its highest level for more than four years as official figures showed nearly 830,000 workers have been dropped from UK payrolls since the start of the pandemic. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed the unemployment rate reached 5% for the first time since early 2016 in the three months to November after another 202,000 people lost their jobs. Figures for December also showed there were 828,000 fewer Britons on company payrolls since before the crisis struck last February as the pandemic has hammered the jobs market. Our latest labour market statistics have been published https://t.co/SjrYPgXa0e pic.twitter.com/tCrBpXLnkI — Office for National Statistics…

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26 January 2021
’13 dead and nothing said’ – 40 years since the New Cross fire tragedy
The Canary UK

’13 dead and nothing said’ – 40 years since the New Cross fire tragedy

40 years ago yesterday, on 18 January 1981, thirteen Black young people were killed at a birthday party held at a house in New Cross, southeast London. The victims names are as follows: Andrew Gooding, Owen Thompson, Patricia Johnson, Patrick Cummings, Steve Collins, Lloyd Hall, Humphrey Geoffrey Brown, Roseline Henry, Peter Campbell, Gerry Paul Francis, Glenton Powell, Paul Ruddock, and Yvonne Ruddock. Over 50 people were injured. Two years later Anthony Berbeck who also attended the party died after falling from a block of council flats in South London on July 9, 1983. The coroner at the second inquest into the fire said Berbeck died “following the trauma…

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20 January 2021