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
Should mental health be getting back to normal?
RUTH HUNT looks at the problems for those whose mental-health requirements were exacerbated by the pandemic — and as it comes to a close, whether there is a possibility of a better way forward, spearheaded by innovative approaches and a new sense of social solidarity
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 the restrictions of lockdown ending, the government’s mantra often includes the phrase “getting back to normal.”
Apart from this being an obviously offensive statement for those whose normal everyday lives are isolated, there are other issues to consider about returning to life as it was before the pandemic.
For example, despite the suffering and loss of life, there has also been an evident sense of social solidarity. With this has been more awareness of inequality and the disparity between incomes.
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