Once the bustling heart of Christian pilgrimage, Bethlehem now faces shuttered hotels, empty streets and a shrinking Christian community, while Israel’s assault on Gaza and the tightening grip of occupation destroy hopes of peace at the birthplace of Christ, writes Father GEOFF BOTTOMS
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A statue we could be proud of
The East End matchwomen were the mothers of the modern trade union movement – so it’s about time they were celebrated with a group statue of them. LOUISE RAW explains how you can have your say in helping to bring this about
After years hidden away, Oldham’s memorial to six local volunteers who died fighting fascism in the Spanish civil war has been restored to public view, marking both a victory for campaigners and a renewed tribute to the town’s proud International Brigade heritage, says ROB HARGREAVES
The June 2025 attacks on Iran have heightened the risk of a wider war, exposed the fiction of a rules-based international order and left ordinary Iranians trapped between external aggression and internal repression, says the Committee for Defence of Iranian People’s Rights
While pretending to seek peace, Europe is heading toward a collision course with Russia – using security guarantees, troop deployments, expropriation and censorship as tools, writes SEVIM DAGDELEN
A WWI hero, renowned ornithologist, medical doctor, trade union organiser and founder member of the Communist Party of Great Britain all rolled in one. MAT COWARD tells the story of a life so improbable it was once dismissed as fiction
The long-term effects of chemical weapons such as Agent Orange mean that the impact of war lasts well beyond a ceasefire
WITH statues as a focus of protest since the murder of George Floyd, we have been reminded what powerful symbols they are.
In fact, removing them as sentiments change is nothing new. Pharaohs would regularly consign statues of their predecessors to the dustbins, or deserts, of history.
In the United States, on hearing the Declaration of Independence for the first time, colonists toppled a Manhattan statue of King George III — and repurposed the lead as bullets for the revolutionary war.
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BEN CHACKO reports on the struggles against sexism, racism and the brutish British state that featured at Matchwomen’s Festival this year
The Morning Star invites readers to join Jeremy Corbyn and others to celebrate a working-class female victory that echoes through the ages
MICHAL BONCZA draws attention to the problematic position that statues of historical figures have in our public spaces