News

G7 leaders meet in Cornwall this weekend

G7 leaders from across the world have travelled to Carbis Bay, near St Ives in Cornwall as talks continue across the weekend, with Covid-19 vaccines and the environment high up on the agenda. The G7 brings together the largest capitalist economies, from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the United States. Russia joined to form the G8 but has since been excluded. Other leaders have also been invited this year, including the far right leader of the BJP in India, Narendra Modi, who will attend virtually, while Ursula von der Leyen will represent the European Union.

The epidemic of sexual harassment in schools

Sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are such a conventional aspect of pupils’ everyday lives they don’t see any point in confronting or reporting it, students have expressed to Ofsted inspectors. Girls experience this abuse disproportionately, facing the likes of misogynistic name-calling, online abuse and rape jokes amongst many other harrowing displays of sexual harassment. Inspectors were informed that boys share nude photos on apps, such as Snapchat, “like a collection game”.

Communist Party: ‘take to the streets’ in June

The Communist Party has issued the June edition of its news sheet Unity! focusing on solidarity with Palestine, the upcoming People’s Assembly demonstration on 26 June, the fight against unemployment and international developments.

PC Wayne Couzens pleads guilty to the kidnap and rape of Sarah Everard

Police officer Wayne Couzens has pleaded guilty to the kidnapping and rape of Sarah Everard, who went missing in March whilst walking home in south London. The serving Metropolitan police constable was present in court via video link from Belmarsh prison, charged with the disappearance and death of the 33-year-old marketing executive.

Over 90% of English constituencies to be redrawn under Boundary Commission proposals

The Boundary Commission for England has announced plans for redrawing over 90% of parliamentary constituencies. The changes made would ensure all MP’s have between 69,724 and 77,062 constituents, though some island constituencies such as Anglesey or the Isle of Wight will not be held to these requirements.

Peruvian socialist Pedro Castillo pulls ahead in election as further hurdles await

Castillo, who’s a relatively new face in Peruvian politics, represents the Free Peru party. Their focus is on nationalising important industries, particularly copper, and taking a stand against the neoliberal order that’s been imposed on the Latin American country for the last few decades.

First zero daily Covid deaths reported since start of pandemic

Last Tuesday, NHS England reported zero daily Covid-19 deaths for the first time since the first reported death in March 2020. This marks a year of success in 2021 with thousands of working class nurses working tirelessly to roll out the vaccination programme in England.

Will billionaires save our planet?

As the globe braces for a considerable emphasis on environmental issues at the G7 summit, Britain’s 100 richest families are being asked to give £1 billion over the next five years to deal with the climate disaster and stop the devastation of the natural world. In order to avert imminent catastrophes that would endanger all their other philanthropic endeavours, each of the 100 wealthiest families in Britain, and the 100 largest charitable foundations, have received a letter requesting that they make the climate and biodiversity disasters a target of their supposed charitable efforts.

89 politicians in Mexico murdered leading up to midterm elections

At least 89 Mexican politicians have been murdered in the last 200 days, 35 of which were candidates for the midterm elections. There has also been over 700 attacks, according to security consultancy firm Etellekt, including threats, beatings and kidnappings.

Charges brought against the murderers of Dea-John Reid

On Monday (31 April 2021) at 07:30pm, Dea-John Reid, 14, was found with a stab wound on College Road in Birmingham. Police in the area have said that Dea-John died from a stab wound to the chest area. The stabbing appeared to take place following a racially-charged fight outside a McDonalds where the local police sighted seven suspects running away from the fast food establishment. So far, four men and two children have been arrested by West Midlands police in connection to the murder. Two of the men and a 13 year old boy have been released with no further action to be taken by the police.

Workers worldwide block Israeli ships in solidarity

Following apartheid Israel’s massacre in the besieged Gaza strip last month, the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions and all other notable Palestinian trade unions have urged fellow workers around the world to refuse to handle Israeli goods and build Israeli weapons. Dock workers in Livorno and South Africa took heed of this call last month when they refused to offload cargo from a ship owned by the Israeli company ‘ZIM’, the eleventh largest shipping company in the world.

‘Keep up the pressure for Palestine’ – Communists urge

The Communist Party of Britain has welcomed the upsurge in mass demonstrations around the world in solidarity with the Palestinian people. But the Party’s International Secretary John Foster called for the protests to continue and even escalate, to put pressure on national governments to force Israel to the negotiating table with Palestinian representatives. “Persuasion having failed over recent decades, sanctions against the Israeli state are necessary in order to bring such talks about”, he told the CP Political Committee on Wednesday evening (2 June 2021).

Gary Smith elected General Secretary of GMB

Gary Smith has been elected General Secretary of the GMB Union with a resounding 50.18% of the vote, in a three-horse race (3 June 2021). This election happened against the backdrop of the former General Secretary Tim Roach being allowed to retire on full pension after allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies.

More than half of UK adults fully vaccinated … but Britain isn’t out of the woods yet

As of Thursday (3 June 2021), 26,422,303 people across the UK have received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, also confirmed that three quarters of UK adults have had their first jab. One of the few achievements in an otherwise disastrous response from the UK Government over the last 15 months.

Communist parties meet in ‘World Symposium’

More than 150 representatives of Communist and workers’ parties participated in a World Symposium organised online by the Communist Party of China (CPC) last week (27 May 2021). The meeting began with a message of greetings from Chinese President and CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping. He told the international guests that “Marxism sheds light in a scientific way on the laws governing the development of human society, showing the way forward to emancipation and stimulating the advance of civilisation.”

Tory government under pressure to back Biden’s global tax plan

The UK government is facing pressure to support a global minimum corporation tax proposed by US President Joe Biden, and to push for this at the upcoming G7 summit. The proposed tax would take on the big multinationals, and crack down on the shifting of profits to offshore havens.

China introduces ‘three-child-policy’ to stave off demographic cliff-edge

China’s attempt to divert a demographic disaster took another important step yesterday with a host of new announcements regarding family planning.

Irish-Palestinian solidarity on full display following Dáil motion

The motion makes the Republic of Ireland the first EU member state to phrase Israeli actions using the term “de facto annexation.” These actions, however, were similarly addressed in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which states that Israel’s settlement activity constitutes a “flagrant violation” of international law and has “no legal validity”.

Private renters fear the prospect of homelessness

Ministers are being alerted to the fact that nearly two million private renters fear they will be powerless to find another property if they are evicted, following the end of the eviction ban. The government is being confronted with appeals for emergency legislation to broaden the permanent protection for those struggling to pay rent as a consequence of the Covid pandemic and the wider issues caused by capitalism, with the ban set to end this week. There have been estimates of a £2.2 billion bill, councils are additionally predicting the homelessness crisis to deepen if the government does not respond in the approaching months.

Syria’s President Assad re-elected for fourth term

President al-Assad of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, won 95.19% of the vote, while the Socialist Unionists’ Abdallah Salluom Abdallah won 1.5% and the Democratic Arab Socialist Union’s Mahmud Ahmad Marei won 3.3%.