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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'Sex, gangs and poor white girls' – unpicking the narratives
Victims were forgotten until a far-right billionaire posted a series of tweets on Britain’s grooming gangs. ANN CZERNIK separates the grains of truth from the chaff of media frenzy in the story that has appalled one and all
Rotherham minster, in the centre of a town at the heart of the 'grooming gangs' scandal
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
BRITAIN’S biggest sex scandal been transformed into a story of our times, and a contentious political fiction. But it’s standing in the way of truth and justice for the victims, families and communities where child sexual exploitation is industrialised.
“If protecting children makes you a fascist, so be it.” It’s a compelling narrative, put to good use by those who wish to fan the flames of division, or capitalise on public outrage for political gain; but it is just that.
A political fiction, with smoke and mirrors, intrigue and controversy, a loose collection of unrelated, unproven statistics, removed from any context and woven together with the thread of conspiracy, a story spun over a quarter of a century serving many masters, instilling fear.
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To quell the public anger and silence the far right, Labour has rushed out a report so that it can launch a National Inquiry — ANN CZERNIK examines Baroness Casey’s incendiary audit and finds fatal flaws that fail to 'draw a line' under the scandal as hoped
Campaigners have been battling for an investigation into police failings in Keighley on child abuse for almost 25 years – but what is it about this West Yorkshire town that’s led to it becoming such a hub for grooming gangs? ANN CZERNIK investigates
By spreading race-based conspiracy theories, the billionaire tycoon turned right-wing provocateur has been seriously undermining the case against those who really did let victims of the grooming gangs down, writes SOLOMON HUGHES