250 Media Outlets Go Dark in Solidarity with Journalists Killed in Gaza
On the 25th August 2025, the Israeli army carried out a devastating double attack on Nasser Hospital in Gaza, killing 22 people including 5 journalists: Hossam Al-Masri, Mariam Abu Daqqa, Mohammed Salama, Ahmad Abu Aziz, and Moaz Abu Taha. The number of journalists killed in Gaza has now reached 246. In a powerful act of global solidarity, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the campaign network Avaaz have mobilized more than 250 media outlets across over 70 countries to go dark, blacking out front pages, website homepages, and even broadcasts to denounce the Israeli army’s killing of journalists in Gaza. The General Director of the RSF warns, “At the rate journalists are being killed in Gaza by the Israeli army, there will soon be no one left to keep you informed.” 70% of all journalists killed globally since October 2023 have been killed in Gaza, making this the most deadly period for journalists in contemporary history. The blackout is a reminder that journalism itself is under siege in Gaza. Each life taken is not only a personal loss but an assault on the very possibility of bearing witness. This crisis is compounded by Israel’s deliberate ban on international journalists, leaving local reporters to face the danger alone. That ban must be lifted. To allow this silence to continue is to abandon the defence of truth itself.
'Red Queen' Angela Rayner Resigns After Admitting to Not Paying Enough Tax
Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner has resigned from the government after facing increasing pressure over underpaid stamp duty on the £800,000 flat she bought in Hove early 2025. This followed an ethics investigation by Sir Laurie Magnus which concluded that while Rayner had acted in good faith and with integrity, she breached the ministerial code by failing to seek specialist tax advice and consequently underpaid stamp duty on her property in Hove, saving around £40,000. In May 2025, Rayner bought the property after moving her share of the family home into a trust for her disabled son, thinking this qualified her for the standard stamp duty rate. But because of the way the trust was set up, she was still liable for the higher surcharge, a detail she overlooked and did not seek additional specialist advice on, despite recommendations to do so. Rayner’s resignation has consequentially coincided with a cabinet reshuffle, with Starmer appointing Foreign Minister David Lammy as Deputy Prime Minister, while Interior Minister Yvette Cooper stepped into Lammy’s role. Cooper’s position was then filled by Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood. Rayner is now the eight, and most senior, resignation from Starmer’s cabinet and arguably the most damaging, with the Prime Minister initially being fiercely behind his deputy when she was initially accused of avoiding the £40,000. Needless to say, Rayner’s departure will be keenly felt within the cabinet, particularly due to her working class background, Rayner represented a constituency of traditional labour voters that has already been largely sidelined and underrepresented by Starmer’s government.
Macron rallies European support for Ukraine through ‘Coalition of the willing’
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that 26 countries have pledged to send troops or provide military support to Ukraine once the war ends, part of a new framework to guarantee the country’s long-term security. The announcement came after a Paris summit of the so-called “coalition of the willing”, a group first launched by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in March. The coalition, which includes European nations as well as Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Canada, agreed to create a “reassurance force” to operate after a peace accord is signed. Macron stressed these troops would not fight on the front lines but instead work to deter renewed conflict. The US is expected to confirm its role in the coming days. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the pledges, calling them the basis for “real security guarantees,” while outlining plans for countries to contribute across land, sea, air, cyberspace and finance. But Russia rejected the initiative outright, with Vladimir Putin warning that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be seen as “legitimate targets.” While countries like Germany, Spain and Italy have not yet agreed to send troops, they have promised financial and training support. The commitments mark a significant step in international planning for Ukraine’s security, even as peace talks remain stalled between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington.
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