Michael Harper

Gaza death toll for first 16 months of war far higher than reported, says peer-reviewed study Lancet Global Health research suggests more than 75,000 killed in period, 25,000 more than announced at the time

I think it is notable BBC avoids this story www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...

Point of no return: a hellish ‘hothouse Earth’ getting closer, scientists say Continued global heating could set irreversible course by triggering climate tipping points, but most people unaware

Why do journalists and some scientists insist on always saying things like « several Earth system components may be closer to destabilising than once believed »? Is it some sort of « nobody told me » exculpatory argument? It is bogus - we were all warned. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The ministries said the spraying constitutes a hostile act and a grave violation of Lebanese sovereignty, warning of severe damage to vegetation, soil fertility, agricultural production, water sources, and long-term public health. They held Israel fully responsible for the resulting environmental, agricultural, and health harm, and announced expanded field surveys and precautionary measures for residents and farmers. Glyphosate is commonly used in military vegetation-clearing operations along borders to kill crops, grass, and ground cover, strip concealment, create exposed buffer zones, damage agricultural livelihoods, and discourage civilian presence and return. Lebanese authorities warned that its use in this context threatens food security and long-term environmental stability. The chemical has been classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a UN-affiliated body, raising additional concerns over health risks from high-concentration aerial spraying. UNIFIL said it was informed in advance by the Israeli military that a so-called “non-toxic” chemical would be dropped near the Blue Line, forcing peacekeepers to suspend operations for more than nine hours across roughly one third of their area of responsibility. UNIFIL called the action unacceptable and a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the spraying as an environmental and health crime and ordered diplomatic and legal action. Lebanon has documented more than 2,000 Israeli ceasefire breaches in the final three months of 2025, as Israel continues to occupy Lebanese territory and block reconstruction in border villages. 🎥 Video from GreenSoutherners

🇱🇧 Israeli aircraft sprayed chemical substances over areas along the Blue Line across southern Lebanon on Feb. 1, which Lebanon’s Ministries of Ag. & Environ. confirmed included the herbicide glyphosate at concentrations 20 to 30 times higher than normal levels.

The ministries said the spraying...

Israel accused of spraying cancer-linked herbicide on farms in southern Lebanon President condemns ‘environmental and health crime’ as critics say Israel seeks to make southern Lebanon uninhabitable

Inès more crime to add to an already long list: www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...

EU formally designates Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation ‘Any organisation that kills thousands of its own people is working toward its own demise,’ says Kaja Kallas

Without making any comment on the merits or otherwise of doing this, exactly the same arguments for designation applied to IDF (“long-overdue political signal that massive violence and transnational repression will no longer go unanswered”): www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

New World Order Thoughts on Europe's looming Chamberlain moment, Carney in China, when good news is bad news, and how Maria Corina Machado got the last laugh

The UK as weak link again: “Britain’s two leading opposition parties are vying for Trumpian favour and much of its oligarch-owned right-wing press is increasingly MAGA-aligned”. open.substack.com/pub/nixons/p...

Palestinian citizen of Israel wins UK asylum over ‘well-founded fear of persecution’ Exclusive: Refugee status granted despite attempt by former home secretary James Cleverly to block 26-year-old’s claim

Questions remain www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

UK ‘pays substantial sum’ to tortured Guantánamo Bay detainee Lawyers for Abu Zubaydah accused British intelligence services of providing questions to his CIA interrogators

Incomplete redress for abuses over 20 years ago. Slavish complicity with US international crimes is not a great policy. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Nobel Institute rejects María Corina Machado’s offer to share peace prize with Trump Organisers clarify award ‘cannot be revoked, shared or transferred’ after Venezuelan opposition leader’s comments

Bet the Norwegian Nobel Committee is regretting its choice. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

US will be exempt from global tax deal targeting profits of large multinationals Agreement finalised by the OECD waters down a landmark 2021 deal that set a minimum global corporate tax of 15%

US will be exempt from global tax deal targeting profits of large multinationals. Quite the most ridiculous decade of tax negotiations ever conducted. The OECD secretary general, Mathias Cormann, an absolute poodle. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Grassroots group’s bank account frozen due to ‘Palestine Action investigation’ Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine, which has no affiliation to direct action group, informed by deputy mayor

The deft hand of Yvette Cooper still screwing UK’s peaceful protests. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

The Guardian view on solar geoengineering: Africa has a point about this risky technology | Editorial Editorial: Sun-dimming risks putting the planet’s thermostat under Donald Trump’s control. Better to adopt the precautionary principle with high-stakes science

As the fossil fuel industry derails efforts to ramp down, the tech bro propaganda campaign to normalize solar geoengineering is ramping up.😱

50+ African nations are calling for a NON-USE agreement before it's too late. The Guardian is joining them. So should the rest of us. #ClimateSky 🔌💡

Dutch foreign minister resigns over government's failure to sanction Israel <article data-history-node-id="427562" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/dutch-foreign-minister-resigns-over-governments-failure-sanction-israel" class="live-blog-update default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/dutch-foreign-minister-resigns-over-governments-failure-sanction-israel" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">Dutch foreign minister resigns over government's failure to sanction Israel</span> </a> </h2> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-text"><p><meta charset="UTF-8"></p> <p>Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp on Friday resigned after his government failed to agree on sanctions against Israel.</p> <p>“I see that I am insufficiently able to take meaningful additional measures to increase pressure on Israel,” Veldkamp told Dutch news agency ANP.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Dutch government did not agree on sanctions during a cabinet meeting on Friday.&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </article>

Dutch foreign minister resigns over government's failure to sanction Israel - https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/dutch-foreign-minister-resigns-over-governments-failure-sanction-israel

UK close to giving Israel's Elbit £2bn contract to train British soldiers Elbit, which was the primary target of Palestine Action's activism, is close to winning a contract that would allow it to train 60,000 troops per year, according to Private Eye

UK close to giving Israel's Elbit £2bn contract to train British soldiers - https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-close-giving-israels-largest-arms-company-ps2bn-contract-train-troops

As they call the Israeli Ambassador in for a word on her country carving up the West Bank.

Money talks more honestly.

'The Lord Is Counting on Me to Stand on the Side of Israel': ICJ Judge Reveals Her Bias Judge Julia Sebutinde, a Christian Zionist, was the sole dissenting vote on the ICJ ruling on Israel's illegal occupation and the only one to vote against all six 'provisional measures' for Gaza.

What Christian Zionists think and do no longer amazes me : open.substack.com/pub/zeteo/p/...

'Jews, rebel!': Ex-Knesset speaker calls on world Jews to take Israel to ICJ over Gaza ***

This seems noteworthy: www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

‘They slaughtered us like animals’: the inside story of how one of the biggest atrocities of the Sudan war unfolded in Zamzam As the UK prepared to host a global summit on bringing peace to Sudan, the RSF paramilitary began a ‘genocidal’ massacre in Zamzam refugee camp. But when reports emerged of the killings, London held i...

Repeat reminder that UAE backs and supports RSF. David Lammy’s failure to act explained: “Thirty-seven days after Zamzam fell, the UK declared its desire for a trade deal with the Emirates.” www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Large majority of Israeli Jews untroubled by reports of famine in Gaza, poll finds ***

A new poll carried out by the Israel Democracy Institute showed that a vast majority of Israeli Jews – 79 percent – say they are "not so troubled" or "not troubled at all" by the reports of famine and suffering among the Palestinian population in Gaza. www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

Clive Stafford Smith: In support of Palestine Action’s right to protest | Good Law Project Supporting Palestine Action’s right to protest is not the same as supporting Palestine Action. It’s time for Keir Starmer to remember why human rights exist, says Clive Stafford Smith.

Clive Stafford Smith: In support of Palestine Action’s right to protest | Good Law Project.

goodlawproject.org/clive-staffo...

Woman, 74, tells of pain and fear after arrest at Liverpool pro-Palestine rally Exclusive: Video shows veteran campaigner being dragged and handcuffed and she says bail conditions effectively confine her to her house

Daily reminder of utter failure of Yvette Cooper to understand genocide or terrorism. Her actions make no-one safer and debase genuine concerns about threats to UK.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

After 7 Decades of Measurements From a Peak in Hawaii, Trump’s Budget Would End Them

Trump is closing all four climate observatory stations in Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, and Antartica. Because you can't have high CO2 levels if you don't *measure* CO2 levels.

roll_safe.gif

More than 100 arrested across UK at protests related to Palestine Action Police in London detain scores of people and confiscate placards under section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000

Yvette Cooper (and those that voted for the proscription) have completely debased the Terrorism Acts. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Nothing to do with illegalities - that’s for the police. Regulators regulate charities’ suitability to operate as charities. PS if you think morality is just a question of legalities, you need to broaden your understanding - Apartheid in South Africa was legal. It does not make it right.

Two UK charities donate millions to Israeli settlement in occupied West Bank Charity Commission criticised for endorsing transfer of about £5.7m to high school in illegal village of Susya

Does the UK have a problem with regulators? First OFWAT and now the Charity Commission in one day: www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Armed police threatened to arrest Kent protester for holding Palestinian flag Officers accused Laura Murton who also had a sign saying ‘Free Gaza’ of supporting a proscribed organisation

“one officer told her: “Mentioning freedom of Gaza, Israel, genocide, all of that all come under proscribed groups, which are terror groups that have been dictated by the government.”

Absolutely chilling

Armed police threatened to arrest Kent protester for holding Palestinian flag Officers accused Laura Murton who also had a sign saying ‘Free Gaza’ of supporting a proscribed organisation

Absolute tectbook example of why UK government and @teamlabouruk.bsky.social approach to terrorism legislation is broken and a failure: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

now throw in the likely possibility that ~20% of the CO2 injected for EOR is microbially converted to methane, dramatically increasing the overall GHG intensity of the produced oil

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

‘Humanitarian city’ would be concentration camp for Palestinians, says former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert says forcing people into camp would be ethnic cleansing, and anger at Israel is not all down to antisemitism

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

On Israel and comparisons with the Nazis After Israel announces it's building a concentration camp, condemning the few politicians speaking out is morally twisted

On Israel and comparisons with the Nazis
www.owenjones.news/p/on-israel-...