News Round-Up

• “Antisemitic hate crimes rise at eight times the rate of Islamophobia in wake of October 7th” – The number of antisemitic hate crimes in the U.K. has more than doubled in the year to March 2024, from 1,543 to 3,282, a 113% increase and the highest on record, reports the Telegraph.
• “The terrifying rise in Left-wing antisemitism has been laid bare” – The progressive Left are more likely to sympathise with terrorist group Hamas than Israel, according to a new poll. Should we be surprised? wonders Michael Deacon in the Telegraph.
• “Gaza protesters target Picasso and spill paint at National Gallery” – Protesters have tried to paste a photograph of a Gazan mother and child over a Picasso painting at the National Gallery to demand a two-way arms embargo on Israel, reports the Standard.
• “These art vandals are just self-indulgent idiots” – Believing yourself to be uniquely virtuous does not give you the right to behave like a mindless lout, says Isabel Oakeshott in the Telegraph.
• “Amazon criticised as Tommy Robinson book tops bestseller chart” – Amazon has been accused of funnelling “thousands of pounds into the pockets of Britain’s best known far-Right extremist” after Tommy Robinson’s latest book topped its bestseller charts, reports the Guardian.
• “Guardian deletes controversial October 7th review” – The Spectator’s Steerpike reveals that the Guardian has spiked its review of One Day in October, a gripping documentary on the Hamas terror attack, after it sparked a furious backlash.
• “Sadiq Khan under fire for allowing Tube advert of Islamic preacher burning dollars” – Transport for London has been criticised for allowing adverts on tubes and buses that show a controversial Islamic preacher holding a briefcase full of burning U.S. dollars, says the Telegraph.
• “A nation without faith ends up killing its infirm” – For believers and non-believers alike, our society’s core values are underpinned by Judeo-Christian morality, writes David Frost in the Telegraph.
• “Jenrick urges Tories to ‘get serious’ on immigration in leader battle” – Robert Jenrick warned the Tories “won’t survive” unless they “get serious” about immigration as the leadership battle enters its final phase, reports the Mail.
• “Tory blame game erupts after Cleverly crashes out of leadership race” – From Grant Shapps’s spreadsheet to claims that James Cleverly spent too much time in the pub, the Tory blame game has broken out in earnest, says Daniel Martin in the Telegraph.
• “Centrist Conservative group refuses to back Badenoch or Jenrick” – Senior Conservatives warn of a potential party split if Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick adopt a populist leadership style, after the party’s centrist group declined to endorse either candidate, reports the Guardian.
• “The age of the Tory centrists has ended” – The Tory party has a new opportunity to change the shape of mainstream political discourse, just as it did so memorably a generation ago, writes Janet Daley in the Telegraph.
• “Lord Alli investigated over undeclared role in tax-haven firm” – The Labour donor at the heart of Keir Starmer’s freebies row is facing an expanded investigation by Parliament’s standards watchdog, reports the Times.
• “Yvette Cooper wants to lock up your sons” – In the Spectator, Toby slams Yvette Cooper’s proposed changes to the U.K.’s counter-terrorism strategy, specifically her suggestion to broaden the definition of extremism to include “misogyny”.
• “Liberals are not just stupid – they’re dangerous” – In the Spectator, Rod Liddle skewers the absurdities of immigration policies.
• “Britain is sliding towards an alcohol ban. Don’t say we weren’t warned” – With tobacco now facing literal prohibition, drinkers are likely to be next in the firing line. Enjoy the pub while you still can, says Christopher Snowdon in the Telegraph.
• “Tax raid fears spark £1.1 billion withdrawals at City fund giant” – One of the U.K.’s top asset managers has blamed fears of a tax raid in Rachel Reeves’s upcoming Budget for sparking withdrawals of £1.1 billion from its funds, according to This is Money.
• “A simple person’s take on tax” – On Substack, Alex Klaushofer urges citizens to question the purpose and accountability of taxes in a system that feels increasingly detached from the public good.
• “British intel’s censorship war goes global” – On the Global Delinquents Substack, Kit Klarenberg reveals how the U.K.’s Counter Disinformation Unit (now renamed as the National Security and Online Information Team) is spearheading a global campaign to manipulate narratives and crush dissent in the name of combating misinformation.
• “‘I received death threats, but tougher hate speech laws are not the answer’” – Australian lockdown sceptic Gigi Foster says she received death threats during the pandemic, but doesn’t believe Victoria’s draconian anti-hate speech laws are the answer.
• “The good soldier Svejk: a hero for troubled times?” – On his Air Power Delusion blog, Neil Datson takes a satirical look at the decline of modern Britain through the lens of the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s downfall.
• “Ofgem blows £3.5 million a year on empty office” – Ofgem pays £3.5 million a year for its luxury Canary Wharf offices despite seven out of eight of its employees working from home on a typical day, reports the Telegraph.
• “Anger at U.K.’s ‘bonkers’ plan to reach Net Zero by importing fuel from North Korea” – A U.K. plan to burn biomass imported from countries including North Korea and Afghanistan has been described as “bonkers”, with critics saying it undermines the credibility of the U.K.’s climate strategy, says the Guardian. Credibility?
• “Ed Miliband unlocks billions to build giant dams across Britain” – A string of giant dams are to be built across Britain’s mountain landscapes after Ed Miliband offered developers billions of pounds in support for the projects, reports the Telegraph.
• “Ron DeSantis’s climate bill has nothing to do with Hurricane Milton” – Hurricane Milton threatens to be a mortal threat for those in its path. It also appears to be a stick to beat Florida governor Ron DeSantis, notes Ross Clark in the Spectator.
• “Spain threatens to bring in hard border at Gibraltar” – Spain is insisting the U.K. accepts a “generous” post-Brexit deal which would either see Spanish troops stationed in Gibraltar or a hard border, reports the Mail.
• “Desperate China is gearing up for a war with the West” – In the Telegraph, Matthew Henderson warns that China’s economic woes are driving Xi Jinping towards dangerous aggression that could spark conflict with the West.
• “CBS editing of Harris ‘word salad’ gives Trump cause to bash media” – Donald Trump’s campaign is calling for CBS News to release the full transcript of Kamala Harris’s interview on its flagship 60 Minutes show after it edited out a “word salad” answer and substituted a more snappy response, reports the Times.
• “Kamala Harris may be panicking: she knows Donald Trump is winning” – If you judge solely by the behaviour of the two candidates, former President Donald Trump will return to the White House, writes Jim Antle in the Telegraph.
• “Lucy Letby: police and CPS handling of case raises new concerns about convictions” – As the Thirlwall inquiry continues to hear evidence, the questions about the safety of Letby’s convictions are mounting, say David Conn and Felicity Lawrence in the Guardian.
• “The world is heading for doomsday – and humanity for a brush with extinction” – Modern living may turn out to be incompatible with sustaining the human population, warns Sam Ashworth-Hayes in the Telegraph.
• “Government interventions linked to higher excess mortality – vaccines show no positive effect on all-cause mortality” – New analysis of 2020-2023 all-cause mortality data suggests that stringent lockdowns, rising poverty and pre-existing health issues were the main drivers of increased excess deaths, writes Ben on his USMortality Substack.
• “Walz’s COVID-19 legacy” – Governor Walz’s tenure during the Covid crisis was a stark lesson in governance overreach, lack of accountability and fiscal irresponsibility, says Anita Jader for the Brownstone Institute.
• “Pro-life buffer zone residents could face £10,000 fines” – The Spectator’s Steerpike reacts to Scotland’s SNP slapping fines on anti-abortion views being expressed within 200 metres of clinics, all under the guise of protecting free speech.
• “White Islam convert ‘told to remove hijab at work’ sues for discrimination” – A British convert to Islam who claims she was ordered to remove her hijab by her employer is claiming she was racially discriminated against because she is white, reports the Telegraph.
• “Student Suhel Ali who called Bukayo Saka a ‘monkey’ is let off because he ‘was not intending to be racist’” – A black law student who called England star Bukayo Saka a ‘monkey’ in an online rant was spared jail after insisting he was not being racist, according to Court News U.K.
• “Fury over Nottingham Building Society’s ‘inclusive’ rebrand” – Nottingham Building Society has become embroiled in a wokeism row after removing Robin Hood from its logo as part of an “inclusive” rebrand, reports the Sun.
• “‘My friend, Amy Wax, the pariah’” – In the Spectator, Lionel Shriver goes to bat for her friend, Amy Wax, a University of Pennsylvania law professor who has faced censure for her remarks on race and sex.
• “‘This would be a huge betrayal of academic freedom’” – On X, Claire Coutinho signal boosts Labour MP Graham Stringer’s claim that Chinese state influence is behind Bridget Phillipson’s decision to scrap the Freedom of Speech Act.

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