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Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditor Just two days after being disbanded by court order, Thailand’s main progressive political party regrouped Friday under a new name and vowed to continue its fight for reforms despite continuing opposition from the conservative establishment that blocked the party from taking power despite finishing first in last year’s election.Leaders of the dissolved Move Forward Party announced they were forming a new party to be called the People’s — or Prachachon — Party.Critics say the party’s dissolution was the latest attack on the country’s progressive movement in a yearslong legal campaign by conservative forces.Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday unanimously ruled that the Move Forward Party violated the constitution by proposing to amend a law that criminalizes insulting the royal family.It also banned former Move Forward executives, including popular former chief Pita Limjaroenrat, from politics for 10 years.Move Forward won the most seats in the 2023 general election, but conservative, military-appointed Senators voted down its candidate for prime minister. The party’s surprise victory was seen as reflecting widespread desire for democratic reforms, especially among younger voters, after years of military rule.Lawmakers of a dissolved political party who are not banned from politics can keep their seats in Parliament if they join another party within 60 days. Move Forward had 148 lawmakers in Parliament, but five are now-banned executives who cannot continue to serve.Speaking at the new party’s inaugural meeting, attended by the 143 remaining MPs and other party members, lawmaker Parit Wacharasindhu announced that the reformed party would be named the People’s Party because it wants to be “a party from the people and for the people, and to work on creating a Thailand where absolute power belongs to the people.”He named five new executive board members, including the new party’s leader 37-year-old IT expert Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut.Natthaphong told the crowd the party would pursue the ambitious goal of winning enough seats to form a single-party government in the next elections in 2027.Wednesday’s court ruling drew international concern.“This decision disenfranchises the more than 14 million Thais who voted for the Move Forward Party in the May 2023 election and raises questions about their representation within Thailand’s electoral system,” said U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. “The Constitutional Court’s decision also jeopardizes Thailand’s democratic progress and runs counter to the aspirations of the Thai people for a strong, democratic future.”“The United States does not take a position in support of any political party, but as a close ally and friend with deep and enduring ties, we urge Thailand to take actions to ensure fully inclusive political participation, and to protect democracy and the freedoms of association and expression,” he said.The European Union issued a similar statement.Volker Türk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said the court’s ruling “was deeply troubling and undermines democratic processes and restricts political pluralism.”“This decision seriously impacts fundamental freedoms of expression and association, and people’s right to participate in public affairs and political life in Thailand,” said Türk. “No party or politician should ever face such penalties for peacefully advocating legal reform, particularly in support of human rights.”Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told reporters on Thursday that he expects Move Forward to respect the court’s ruling and to find an appropriate way to continue its work.When asked about the international reaction to the party’s dissolution, Srettha said he understood that concerns were expressed in a spirit of goodwill, but “they don’t mean anything, because we have sovereignty and our own ways in terms of political and democratic developments.” More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorSadiq Khan has said he does not feel safe as an openly Muslim politician following riots that have rocked the UK over the last week – and that he has been left heartbroken for his children. Hundreds of people have been arrested during disorder linked to the far-right, which began following the killing of three young girls in Southport after social media posts falsely claimed the suspect was a Muslim immigrant.“Like a lot of people of my generation, I felt triggered by the events of the last couple of weeks in particular”, the London mayor told The Guardian. “It’s difficult to explain the ripples when you’ve been targeted because of your religion or colour of your skin and you can’t change either of those things. And whether you’re seeing physical acts of violence taking place in the North West or the North East, you feel it in London.“What’s heartbreaking to me is my children’s generation had never experienced what I had. And they, for the first time, were scared. I thought I’d be the last generation to be scared, simply for who I am. And it breaks my heart.”Sadiq Khan has said he does not feel safe as an openly Muslim politician More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorSadiq Khan has urged the Government to revisit new social media rules, saying that the disorder of the last week shows that regulations due to come into force are “not fit for purpose”.New regulation of social media platforms – the Online Safety Act – became law in the UK last year but has not yet fully come into effect.Once in place, it will require platforms to take “robust action” against illegal content and activity, including around offences such as inciting violence.I think what the government should do very quickly is check whether the Online Safety Act is fit for purpose; I think it’s not fit for purposeMayor of London Sadiq KhanBut the Mayor of London said that the rioting over the last week, which came after misinformation about the suspected Southport attacker spread on social media, showed that reform of the regulation was necessary.“The way the algorithms work, the way that misinformation can spread very quickly and disinformation … that’s a cause to be concerned, we’ve seen a direct consequence of this,” he told The Guardian.“I think what the government should do very quickly is check whether the Online Safety Act is fit for purpose; I think it’s not fit for purpose.”After the stabbings in Southport on July 29, an incorrect name and a false story around the background of the suspected perpetrator spread online.In recent days Elon Musk, the owner of X, has been heavily criticised for posts about the disorder in the wake of the Southport stabbings.The billionaire was called “deeply irresponsible” by Justice Secretary Heidi Alexander for posting that “civil war is inevitable” in the UK.He also reposted an image of a fake news headline about the UK’s response to riots.The Online Safety Act will, for the first time, make firms legally responsible for keeping users safe when they use their services.In a few months, new safety duties under the Online Safety Act will be in place, but you can act now – there is no need to wait to make your sites and apps safer for usersIt will require platforms to put in place clear and proportionate safety measures to prevent illegal and other harmful content from appearing and spreading on their sites.The biggest platforms could face billions of pounds in fines if they do not comply.Named managers could be held criminally liable in some instances, and sites may face having their access limited in the most severe cases.Ofcom, which will oversee the new laws, on Wednesday urged social media companies to do more to deal with content stirring up hatred or provoking violence on Britain’s streets.The watchdog said: “In a few months, new safety duties under the Online Safety Act will be in place, but you can act now – there is no need to wait to make your sites and apps safer for users.” More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorSir Keir Starmer has told far-right thugs that there will be no let-up in bringing them to justice, as he held his third emergency Cobra meeting in a week amid concerns there could be a new wave of violence this weekend.It is understood he told the meeting on Thursday evening that police need to remain on “high alert” so they are prepared for any possible further unrest in the coming days.His warning came as police chiefs said they believe there has been a “turning point” in the rioting that has scarred Britain’s streets, after a show of mass unity by anti-racist protesters appeared to see off the threat of attacks on asylum centres and rights lawyers. More rioters were jailed on Thursday, including a couple in Hartlepool who joined a mob after a day playing bingo, and a 69-year-old retired welder in Liverpool who set fire to bins and threw missiles at police.Starmer visits the Solihull Mosque in Birmingham, and meets Jehangir Malik, member of the mosque management team, and Sohail Hasani, founding trustee of the mosque and community centre More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorA new Labour MP has apologised and said she “deeply regrets” recently unearthed offensive tweets. Lauren Edwards, the new MP for Rochester and Strood made comments about Estonians, Parliament’s cleaners and a halal restaurant, in the now-deleted posts. In one, Ms Edwards wrote: “I want these f****** Estonian r****** out of my flat now!”She said she had made a “significant error of judgement” in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.Lauren Edwards has apologised after old Tweets resurfaced (UK Parliament/PA)The posts date from more than a decade ago, between 2009-2011.Ms Edwards, who worked as a parliamentary researcher for Labour MPs including Barbara Keeley, Teresa Pearce and Lisa Nandy until 2013, also tweeted: “Are the cleaners on recess too? My desk has so many coffee rings it looks like Saturn.”Another, which appeared to respond to an account called Baroness Wrenthorpe, said: “Baroness Wrenthorpe text me from Walthamstow to say he’s seen a halal Pakistani Chinese Grill place. Hope he’s not suggesting we go there.”On Thursday, she said she had been recently made aware of a small number of tweets she postedover a decade ago “which I now deeply regret.”They were a significant error of judgement on my part, and I apologise wholeheartedly.”She added that: “Since becoming a local councillor and more recently an MP, I have seen first-hand the importance of bringing communities together and working with tolerance and respect for all in our society.”I pledge to use my platform to continue that important work and dedicate myself to serving all residents of Rochester and Strood.”Former Tory MP Kelly Tolhurst called the comments ‘divisive and unpleasant’ (House of Commons/PA) More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorNigel Farage has doubled down on his much-criticised claims about the Southport stabbings, as new polling shows the Reform UK leader’s popularity has plummeted. Following the killings of three girls last week, Mr Farage claimed “the truth was being withheld” about the suspect and has gone on to allege the riots that followed were due to a lack of information provided to the public by authorities. It was false claims shared about the suspect’s name and faith on social media that whipped up anger that contributed to the racist riots that have blighted England in the last week, with nearly 500 people now arrested. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been criticised for his response to the riots More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorElon Musk has been tricked by fake news on his own platform after reposting an image of a fake news headline about the UK’s response to riots.It comes as the billionaire faces ongoing criticism about his engagement with, and handling of, misinformation.The owner of social media giant X reshared an image posted by Britain First co-leader Ashlea Simon; a screenshot which purported to show a headline from the Daily Telegraph website, claiming the Government was considering creating temporary detainment camps on the Falkland Islands for those arrested during the recent riots.However, the Telegraph quickly debunked the image, posting to its official account on the platform: “The Telegraph is aware of an image circulating on X which purports to be a Telegraph article about ’emergency detainment camps’.“No such article has ever been published by the Telegraph.”Mr Musk and Ms Simon have since both deleted their posts, but not before Mr Musk’s post was seen by hundreds of thousands of his followers – of which he has 193 million – and other users.The SpaceX and Tesla owner has been heavily criticised in recent days for a number of posts about the disorder in the wake of the Southport stabbings and was called “deeply irresponsible” by Justice Secretary Heidi Alexander for posting that “civil war is inevitable” in the UK.Both X and Mr Musk have come under increased scrutiny since the businessman took over the site in late 2022, with the billionaire himself engaging with misleading content and accounts known for spreading misinformation on a number of occasions.In recent days he has posted a number of images and memes stoking division around the anti-immigration protests and disorder in Britain, recently reposted a misleading video of US vice president Kamala Harris that had been manipulated by AI, and has previously engaged with accounts known to have spread misinformation on a number of topics, including Covid-19 and vaccine safety.His approach to running the platform has been heavily criticised after he substantially cut staff numbers and changed the site’s verification and content moderation systems, saying he wanted to allow “absolute free speech”.Under his leadership, the company has also restored the accounts of many figures previously banned for breaking site rules around hate speech, including in some from the UK such as Tommy Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – and Katie Hopkins.Elon Musk branded the Prime Minister ‘two-tier Keir’ in a series of tweets on Tuesday (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA) More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorLabour has suspended a councillor over a speech at a counter demonstration calling for the throats of anti-immigration protesters to be cut.Dartford councillor Ricky Jones has been suspended by the party over the video, which shows him in the middle of a cheering crowd at a protest in Walthamstow, east London, organised to stop the far-right from targeting asylum centres and the offices of lawyers helping asylum seekers.In the speech on Wednesday evening, he said: “We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them.”He followed his speech with leading a chant of “free, free Palestine.”Ricky Jones is a councillor in Dartford More