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
Unions are more relevant now than at almost any time in history
Amid job insecurity and rising racism it’s more important than ever to come together in unity, says STEVE PREDDY
Jeremy Corbyn at last year's Tolpuddle Festival
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
THIS weekend it is my honour to gather with friends and comrades at Tolpuddle in my inaugural year as Unite regional secretary for the South West, which also marks the centenary of the Landworker Magazine from the Agricultural and Rural Workers sector.
The South West is a huge and diverse region, additionally incorporating the Scilly Isles, Channel Islands and Gibraltar. 2020 will mark my 40th year as a representative for workers in the region.
This past year has provided significant challenges, many ongoing, for our membership and communities.
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