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
The promise that could seal Assange’s fate
There have been assurances that Assange does not face the death penalty, but no clear answer as to whether the US first amendment will apply to him; regardless, he should be released and returned to Australia, writes TIM DAWSON
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
WHEN Justice Jeremy Johnson and Dame Victoria Sharp take their seats in London’s Royal Courts of Justice today, it will be to deliver their verdict of the quality of a promise.
Much rests on their judgement — the ability of journalists all over the world to reveal wrongdoing based on classified information, the reputation of the US government, and the life of Julian Assange.
The promise arises from the last occasion these distinguished jurists considered this case. In February they heard what was expected to be Assange’s final plea that his extradition to the US be not allowed.
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