News Round-Up

• “Traders with prior knowledge of Hamas attacks made millions shorting Israel, claims report” – Suspicious stock market activity suggests that more than $100 million was made betting against Tel Aviv shares prior to the October 7th massacre, according to the Telegraph.
• “Solidarity with Palestinians is not hate speech, whatever would-be censors say” – Freedom of expression is imperilled when speakers are cancelled, whether by the Left or the Right, says Kenan Malik in the Guardian.
• “The chilling link between anti-zionism and antisemitism” – Everything is fascism except fascism. It is doublespeak on steroids, writes Brendan O’Neill in the Spectator.
• “Will it be riot season again in 2024?” – The Left-wing rioting following George Floyd’s death in 2020 was not an anomaly but a tactic that activists are repurposing for any cause, says Christopher F. Rufo in City Journal.
• “Why Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wants peace with Israel” – Saudi Arabia would quietly welcome the demise of Hamas, writes David Rundell in UnHerd.
• “Child mask mandates for COVID-19: A systematic review” – According to new research in the British Medical Journal, the current body of scientific data does not support the use of masks for protecting children against COVID-19.
• “Covid handouts have made people less willing to work, central bankers warn” – Covid handouts have made people less willing to work, a group of the world’s most senior central bankers has warned, according to the Telegraph.
• “The Hallett Inquiry: Eminence-based medicine Part 8” – Dr. Tom Jefferson and Prof. Carl Heneghan present the eighth instalment in their series of posts focusing on the evidence provided to the Covid Inquiry by Chief Scientific Advisor Prof. Dame Angela McLean.
• “The WHO’s accelerating ambitions create a cliff edge for democracy” – Rumours of the demise of the WHO’s International Health Regulations amendments are premature despite encouraging signs of resistance, says UsForThem on Substack.
• “Former U.K. police officer convicted for ‘implication’ in ‘offensive’ social media message raises major free speech concerns” – A U.K. court ruling has extended the boundaries of hate speech laws, potentially criminalising implied meanings in private communications, reports Reclaim The Net.
• “Barclay family regains ownership of the Telegraph after Lloyds loan repaid” – The Barclay family has regained ownership of the Telegraph after paying £1.2 billion in debts owed to Lloyds Banking Group, according to the Telegraph.
• “France isn’t buying Macron’s excuses after the Eiffel Tower terror attack” – France is supposed to be on high alert but a terror attack in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower cost a tourist his life, writes Gavin Mortimer in the Spectator.
• “We can’t let Islamist terror become the ‘new normal’” – Why have the brutal knife attacks in Paris been met with silence, asks Fraser Myers in Spiked.
• “Mayor of London and TfL cut down ‘historic’ tree” – The “historic” palm tree that stood proudly on a roundabout in Millbank has been removed for yet another bike lane for Sadiq Khan’s cycling constituents, reports the Mail.
• “‘We can’t go uphill – the 20mph speed limit makes no sense’” – Residents and businesses in Wales are grappling with the unintended consequences of the new 20mph zones, says the Telegraph.
• “U.K. would be a climate leader again under Labour, says Starmer” – The U.K. will “lead from the front” in tackling the climate crisis under a Labour Government, Keir Starmer has pledged, after meeting world leaders at the COP28 summit in Dubai, reports the Guardian.
• “‘Pounds for pylons’ is a pitiful attempt to allow destruction in the name of Net Zero” – People who live near new pylons are to be convinced to accept these iron invaders with discounts to their electricity bills, writes Rosie Pearson in the Telegraph.
• “Union chiefs held festive lunch as train strikes resumed” – Rail union bosses held a festive party on the eve of a fresh round of strikes that have caused travel misery for millions, reports the Times.
• “I was sacked as a school chaplain for my Christian beliefs” – In Spiked, Revd Dr. Bernard Randall recounts his dismissal from employment and reporting to Prevent after delivering a sermon critical of ‘wokeness’.
• “Doctor Who: The latest symptom of the BBC’s decline” – The BBC’s upcoming licence renewal could spark a viewer exodus, says Niall Gooch in UnHerd.
• “Woke books are a flop with readers” – The publishing industry needs to prioritise quality over ideology if it wants to survive, writes Nick Tyrone in Spiked.
• “England’s oldest Christmas market forced to shut because it was ‘so popular’ that it was a ‘safety risk’” – Lincoln Christmas market, which was first held in 1982, has been axed by the Labour-led council due to concerns about overcrowding, reports GB News.
• “Canada’s suicide hotline reveals Justin Trudeau’s dystopia” – In Canada, euthanasia has been reduced to a bureaucratic detail, writes Mary Harrington in UnHerd.

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