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 rock on which a new political movement could be built’
Elizabeth Short speaks to film-maker KEN LOACH and trade unionist IAN HODSON about the For the Many Network, a new initiative that connects grassroots activists who share a common commitment to socialist principles from Labour’s Corbyn era
Ken Loach receives a standing ovation at the For the Many Network launch in Liverpool
[Neil Terry Photography]
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
“WHAT Starmer’s done is unforgivable,” says legendary socialist film-maker Ken Loach.
As he speaks in the basement of the left-wing Casa bar, crowds pack out the room above for the much-anticipated launch of the For the Many Network in Liverpool.
Across town, a rather contrasting political scene unfolds, as corporate suits gather at what one attendee called the “Labour Ltd” conference, featuring execs from Amazon and Airbnb.
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