Sunday 26 July

Karim Khan has been dismissed as chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) after a majority member states voted to remove him from his role over sexual misconduct claims, despite be cleared of all wrongdoing by a panel of judges appointed by the ICC’s governing body, the Assembly of State Parties (ASP) bureau, to review the allegations against him. The judges concluded unanimously that the UN investigators’ findings “do not establish misconduct or breach of duty under the relevant framework”. It’s quite evident that this decision was the result of threats from the USA, aided and abetted by David Cameron.

Monday 27 July

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Defence Secretary Wes Streeting have had meetings with their US counterparts.

These allies, they put America’s sons and daughters, our sons and daughters, at risk by denying them the predictable access, basing and overflight that never should have been in question at all.

Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of War

No, Hogsbreath! You put them in danger by starting a war you couldn’t win and expect your ‘allies’ to pull your irons out of the fire. Don’t you have enough enemies without insulting your friends?

*****

RIP Bill Oddie

A renegade polymath with binoculars and a beard , Bill was invariably funny and occasionally furious . He loved birds and loathed those who harmed them . He was delightfully unpredictable , sparky , smart and at times a bit spiky . Critically he really knew his stuff , and his passion was true – he didn’t just pick up his binoculars on telly , he went birding whenever he could . So he was genuine and that’s why we loved him , he never needed a script , and took scant interest in any he was given . He didn’t like rules and often neglected to play by them . This may have frustrated the serious and the worthy but it always amused his audience – he was an utter joy to be with . I recall finding a Black Woodpecker in a damp Dutch park with him once , he gazed at it intently , sighed , put down his bins , turned to me and just smiled . A massive grin . No words , just a beautiful childlike bliss . That says all you need to know about Bill Oddie .

Chris Packham

Tuesday 28 July

Andy Burnham has appointed Ian Austin as trade envoy to Israel. One of my proudest achievements is to have this dishonourable member who became an ignoble lord block me on Twitter (as it was then).

Wednesday 29 July

Today is International Tiger Day. Gopal, the tiger I adopted a few years ago, is flourishing at a sanctuary in India established by Born Free in 2002.

Palestine Action activists convicted of spraying red paint on a Barclays bank branch could face heavier sentences than if they had robbed the bank if the judge decides there was a “terrorist connection.”

Friday 31 July

The Supreme Court has granted permission to appeal the Court of Appeal judgment on the Palestinen Action ban. Via Huda Ammori on X

Saturday 1 August

Happy Yorkshire Day 😀

Throughout August, children in England aged five to 15 can travel by bus for free, and you don’t need to register. Find out which bus operators are taking part in your area. Via Campaign for Better Transport

The BBC is reporting that Hamas has agreed a disarmament deal with Trump’s ‘Board of Peace, but it’s contingent on Israel agreeing to withdraw from Gaza and allow humanitarian aid to enter the enclave. I’m very sceptical about Israel’s willingness to comply – the process of disarmament will take time, and if the bombing continues then all bets are off!

Manchester mayoral by-election ended with Labour defeating Reform with roughly twice the votes after second preferences had been distributed. Greens were third.

Sunday 2 August

Comment from a new follower to one of my posts on Bluesky: “propaganda as a contagion is such a fitting metaphor. critical thinking really is the vaccine and way too many people skipped that dose”

I’ve heard from a group of comrades on X that they didn’t get today’s blog when I first posted it. This has happened before with individual followers but it’s the first time it’s happened with a group of friends. It shows the importance of subscribing to ensure you don’t miss out. On the positive side it did get another comment.

I’ve cancelled a couple of regular payments to causes I support. My expenditure exceeds my income each month and, although my bank balance is still higher than it’s been prior to last year, I prefer to make large occasional donations rather than small regular ones. Those I’ve cancelled have already benefited substantially and I prefer to divert the money into other channels. That said I’m getting a lot of requests for donations for petitions I’m promoting. It seems the more you do the more is expected of you. That’s not my idea of socialism!

Monday 3 August

Irish/Kiwi activist was arrested under the UK Terrorism Act for using a microphone. He doesn’t say anything in support of any proscribed organisation. Via Defend Our Juries

Wales is the first nation to withdraw support for Gianni Infantino’s reelection as president of FIFA. Andy Burnham has also said he doesn’t think Infantino is the right person for the job.

Thursday 6 August

I’ve had a bad three days but I think I’m on the mend now 🤞 Any movement was painful, even a deep breathe. I’ve lost a lot of sleep because if I went to bed I’ld have difficulty getting out again, or even adjusting my position.

Misconduct proceedings have been dropped against the police officer who fatally shot unarmed black man Chris Kaba. A decision was made in January to pause any proceedings involving the officer until a law change, relating to the use of force in misconduct cases, was introduced.

Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the decision “finally brings to an end almost four years of uncertainty for him, his family and the wider firearms command.” Via Morning Star Online

It’s no satisfaction to the family of Chris Kaba and the wider community that a firearms officer should escape just due to a change in the law, he should have been punished according to the law as it was at the time!

Friday 7 August

Donald Trump has dropped his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC because his lawyers have advised him that he doesn’t have a case and pursuing it would require him to disclose financial information to the defence that he would prefer to remain hidden.

Saturday 8 August

Workers at the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Centre in East Cowes, Isle of Wight will be striking over redundancy terms following the RNLI’s decision to close the centre by 2028 and transfer lifeboat production to Poole. Their union Unite says the charity has refused to negotiate an improved redundancy package, instead relying on relocation offers that many workers cannot realistically accept. The highly skilled workforce, which builds and maintains lifeboats for more than half of the RNLI’s UK stations, deserves fair treatment after years of service.

Strike Map

Congratulations to the firefighters. Following a mass campaign by KentFBU, which included mobilising local residents to support them,  the union has delivered a vital win and saved fire stations from closure, kept fire engines available, and saved firefighters’ jobs.

Strike Map