Lush is a brilliant company. In September, I sent a speculative email to its general public relations email address about the student-led Gaza 40+ campaign to get students with UK scholarships evacuated.

A powerful account of what the ceasefire means to Gazans, by Ali Skaik, published in The Nation. ‘We, the ones who made it out alive, carry the duty of memory. We survived to speak the names of the martyrs, to share their stories, and to keep their voices alive.’ www.thenation.com/article/worl...

We Are Genocide Survivors. But Our War Is Far From Over.

We in Gaza will remember the martyrs—those who died teaching, reporting, healing, mothering, surviving. We will carry their memory like fire in our hearts. And we will begin again.

thenation.com

Sana is one of the students our charity, the Durham Palestine Educational Trust, funded to study for a Master’s programme. She did amazing work in Gaza, delivering education in a refugee camp www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

'Half my mind is still in Gaza': Evacuated teacher begins studies in UK

Sanaa el-Azab is one of 58 people who have been evacuated from Gaza to study at universities in the UK on scholarships.

bbc.co.uk

My friend Ali Skaik provides a visceral view of life in Gaza City right now, a reality that lives in dreams as well as waking hours electronicintifada.net/content/nigh...

Nightmares asleep, nightmares awake

Israel targeted and destroyed a high-rise tower adjacent to our building but we refuse to leave.

electronicintifada.net

Huda Skaik writes powerfully from within Gaza City: ‘Remember that every corner, every street, and every whisper of life in Gaza City was once a part of me.’ www.newarab.com/opinion/isra...

Israel is forcing us out of Gaza City, with no return

Huda Skaik shares her harrowing experience of Israel’s invasion of Gaza City, and her fear of permanent displacement & the erasure of her people.

newarab.com

A compelling feature by Huda Skaik and Ali Skaik on the work of photojournalists during the genocide in Gaza. They are heroes. So brave, demonstrating a commitment to truth knowing that they could be targeted for death by the Israeli occupation forces at any time theintercept.com/2025/09/16/g...

“They Fear Our Lenses”: Gaza Photojournalists Speak Out

Photographers in Gaza risk their lives to witness the war. Their images speak louder than the critics trying to discredit them.

theintercept.com

The v talented Nadera Mushtha has published a new piece that draws out the theft of time, space and life by Israel in Gaza, but also the beautiful defiance of Gazans amidst these dynamics. She’s a poet distilling what is essential about humanity in prose wearenotnumbers.org/we-counted-t...

We counted the days of war, until they started counting us - We Are Not Numbers

Now they have decided to occupy all of Gaza. And the world does what? The world is still silent.

wearenotnumbers.org

If you’re wondering why there are fewer images and videos coming from citizens on the ground in north Gaza today, it’s because the Israelis bombed and destroyed internet and phone centres this morning. I guess they really don’t want you to see what’s going on

A friend’s neighbourhood, Gaza City, today. There is no other objective here other than eradicating a people

The absolute legend that is Gruff Rhys, aka the best, aka Yr Arwr, pops up to speak eloquently about yr iaith Gymraeg, its politics and the ongoing genocide in Gaza as “the defining event of our times”. His new album, Dim Probs, out now, and it’s ace www.channel4.com/news/gruff-r...

Gruff Rhys on reinventing Welsh language music and taking it global

An album written and performed entirely in the Welsh language at one time may not have travelled far beyond Wales, but for the singer-songwriter Gruff Rhys it has become an intrinsic part of his inter...

channel4.com

A few streets away from a friend in Gaza City. The only thing that will work against this brutal Israeli regime is hard sanctions and criminal prosecutions

The Israelis have just bombed and destroyed Al-Tiba Tower on the coast in Gaza City. As you can see from the video, it is surrounded by the tents of the displaced. When you search for the tower in Google Maps, you get a video of a mixed gender group of youngsters playing football outside it

My gifted friend Huda Skaik’s poem, Alone Beneath the Rubble, was recited at the Milton Keynes vigil for Gaza yesterday. Huda is an inspirational writer and journalist. She is currently in Gaza City, and is in my thoughts continuously. Text here wearenotnumbers.org/alone-beneat...

My friend Huda Skaik, on the ground in Gaza, has visited the Strip’s only Catholic church a month on from Israel’s attack. She speaks to survivors and reports their experiences with considerable care. theintercept.com/2025/08/18/g...

Inside Gaza’s Only Catholic Church, One Month After Israel’s Attack

A reporter in Gaza finds a Catholic community grieving those killed by Israel’s bombs, but still worshipping together.

theintercept.com

Here is a poem by my friend Nadera Raied Mushtha, an exceptionally gifted writer and journalist in Gaza, Palestine. Recited by another friend, Jackie Andrew-Barrett at a vigil in Milton Keynes. Nadera, your words echoed through our city this evening and we are with you

The MK ANSARS are doing important work to help settle Palestinian students and recent graduates. Please read, donate (time and/ or money) if you can, and share www.mkfm.com/news/local-n...

MK ANSARS – Welcoming & Empowering Palestinian Students and Graduates in Milton Keynes

This week, a powerful new initiative, MK ANSARS, has been launched to support Palestinian students and recent graduates from Gaza and the West Bank as they resettle and thrive in Milton Keynes.

mkfm.com

Launching today: MK ANSARS, a new Milton Keynes initiative to support Palestinian students from Gaza & the West Bank 🇵🇸. Mentoring, friendship & practical help to rebuild futures. Led by @KurshidaMirza & @nela-smolovic.bsky.social

A simple request for the UK government to get students with offers to study here out of Gaza. Please do what you can - raise it at a meeting, write to your MP. Governments in Germany, France and Ireland have managed to evacuate offer holders, so why not the UK? www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Ministers urged to help students trapped in Gaza with places at UK universities

Forty people who have been offered scholarships unable to travel without biometric data they have no way of getting

theguardian.com

A much needed, critical journal on feminism and organization, with a brilliant group of scholars leading and supporting it

Nela Smolovic Jones@nela-smolovic.bsky.social · last yr.

Thrilled to see the announcement for our new journal, Feminism and Organization, I will be co-editing with @profalisonpullen.bsky.social, and a legion of superb feminists around the globe everyone would be honoured to work with: bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/new-journal-... @bupjournals.bsky.social

Well, Adwaith were fantastic in Newcastle this evening. The new record is a proper rocker eh

*plays the new Adwaith album* Amdaniiiiiiiiii …

A big night on the Toon fair play. Lovely to be amongst so many joyful people. Tell me ma me ma, I’m not coming home for tea. I’m going to Wem-ber-ley, tell me ma me ma!

Oh well I finally deactivated my Twitter account. Promoting fascists and fascism is too much. I don’t like this platform - I get tonnes of US and cats content - but it will do for now or until I give up on social media entirely

I’m super excited for this. Album ordered and a couple of tour dates booked in. Let’s gooo www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

‘Why not us?’: Welsh language trio on their forthcoming double album

Post-punk band Adwaith will release their third album Solas, a Celtic word meaning enlightenment, in February

theguardian.com

Beyond the Fragments: 45 Years On sslh.org.uk/2024/12/28/b...

Beyond the Fragments: 45 Years On

Earlier this year, a one-day conference was held to mark 45 years since the publication of the seminal socialist-feminist text, Beyond the Fragments: Feminism and the Making of Socialism. Co-author…

sslh.org.uk

Top albums 2024: 1. Gruff Rhys, Sadness sets me free; 2. The Cure, Songs of a lost world; 3. La Luz, News of the Universe; 4. Beak>, >>>>; 5. Daisy Rickman, Howl; 6. The Soundcarriers, Through Other Reflections; 7. Blood Incantation, Absolute elsewhere; 8. Julie Christmas, Ridiculous & full of blood

There’s a big old discount on Keith and I’s book on leadership. It’s packed full of power, resistance and intrigue. If you buy no other book in leadership that’s fine by us. www.bloomsbury.com/uk/leadershi...

Leadership

Leadership: Limits and Possibilities offers a critical discussion of leadership that draws upon a wide range of approaches, material and examples to demonstrate…

bloomsbury.com

Sobering reading from Amnesty International’s comprehensive research today. I hope the UK Government finally starts to take substantial action www.amnesty.org.uk/genocide-rep...

‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza

We are Amnesty International UK. We are ordinary people from across the world standing up for humanity and human rights.

amnesty.org.uk

There’s a vicious rumour circulating that I really like the Super Furry Animals and Gruff Rhys. I would like to categorically den… Ok you’ve got me

My suggested cap is 0.01 pence taxed at 1bn%. Public funding for political parties, proportional representation, abolish House of Lords. No political party membership, replace with democratic primaries. Independent review of all MPs’ expenses entitlements by a panel of NHS nurses

Pippa Crerar@pippacrerar.bsky.social · 2y ago

EXCL: Caps on political donations are being considered by ministers as part of sweeping reforms to the UK electoral system @elenicourea reveals www.theguardian.com/politics/202...