Britain, spreading freedom across the world (via the Daily Mail): The Mail on Sunday can today reveal devastating new claims of abuse by British soldiers carried out at a secret network of illegal prisons in the Iraqi desert. One innocent civilian victim is said to have died after being assaulted aboard an RAF helicopter, while… …
Showing all posts tagged Britain
Classic example of how not to undermine serious human rights reporting
The role of the mainstream media in reporting hard news while also taking compromising advertising is an intriguing one. The Guardian recently discovered this and mis-fired badly. To its credit, they’ve now run this strong piece by Chris Elliot, the Readers Editor: Sri Lanka‘s civil war, in which tens of thousands of people were killed…
Colluding with Israeli apartheid should affect your global image
The Independent reports: The government will be challenged in parliament next week over the services provided in Israeli settlements within occupied Palestinian territory by the company chosen to run security for London 2012. G4S, designated as “official provider of security and cash services for the Olympics,” also operates in Jewish settlements in the West Bank…
Blood on British hands; sending Tamils back to be tortured
These serious allegations are horrific. A government’s duty of care is paramount and yet in this case it seems that the desire for Britain (and indeed, Australia, who says very little about war crimes in Sri Lanka) to have a good relationship with Colombo is central. Also note the use of a private, chartered plane,…
Sending Tamils back to Sri Lanka’s police state
How dare we lecture the developing world about human rights when this happens (via the Independent)?: Dozens of Tamil asylum-seekers will be forcibly removed from Britain on a secretive deportation flight today despite credible evidence that they face arrest and retribution on their return. A chartered plane, PTV030, is due to take off at 15.30…
Assange interviews #Occupy
Another week and another fascinating The World Tomorrow (past episodes here). This week it’s the #Occupy movement from Britain and America talking capitalism, mass movements and dissident:
Another day and yet more evidence that Serco thrives through failure
The Guardian investigates: A leading private health company, poised to win much of the new wave of… NHSoutsourcing contracts, is under investigation for allegedly providing an “unsafe” out-of-hours GP service, and over claims that it manipulated results where it failed to meet targets. Serco, which runs a large range of outsourced services for the government and…
Tony Blair Inc (and how his mates discovered ways to make money from repression)
The evidence that Tony Blair has amassed a fortune since leaving office is clear. He’s rather keen on providing advice to dictators. This news is therefore unsurprising. It’s how these people see the world; PR is a substitute for human rights. It pays far more, too: He has produced four volumes of diaries, become a…
Global detention centres are thriving and vulture capitalists rejoice
Placing tortured asylum seekers into immigration detention in Britain – where private companies “take care” of aspects of this process – is shameful. Britain’s Channel 4 has the story: Meanwhile, in Australia Serco is loving the increase in asylum boats. The more the merrier. Yesterday’s Australian records the screams of joy from the Serco board-room:…