UK arms exports soar to a record £9.2bn – as transparency declines [Saudi Eurofighter Typhoon arms exports] The value of UK “single individual” licences for arms exports in 2024 (the latest full-year figures) increased by 86% to reach a record £9.2bn. Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Qatar, and the US are the top recipients. These are the findings in [a new report from Campaign Against Arms Trade][1] (CAAT). Campaigners have criticised the close relationship between the UK and US arms industries which the report shows. The [US, which bombed seven countries in the twelve months][2] leading up to the beginning of the US-Israeli war on Iran, remains a major recipient of UK arms. ## Ever-declining transparency around UK arms exports The staggering £9.2bn figure still does not cover exports under unlimited “open” licences. CAAT estimates these account for roughly half of all UK arms exports. And for some countries and regions, including the US and [West Asia][3], a substantial majority of exports go through open licences, thus more than doubling the figure. Moreover, [government department UK Defence & Security Exports][4] has not published a separate set of data. This prevents a more complete picture of exports. Concerningly as well, the detail available on export licences declined due to a transition in the government’s online licence application system. These two issues demonstrate serious deterioration in the transparency of UK arms exports, even as the level of exports appears to rise. The report discusses how the UK government, along with major arms companies such as BAE Systems, aggressively pursued major new arms export deals. In particular, it targeted sales of the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Turkey is engaged in ongoing armed conflict with Kurdish groups in Turkey, Syria, and Iraq. And Saudi Arabia recently used its existing fleet of Eurofighters to cause devastation in Yemen. Turkey signed an £8bn deal with the UK government to buy 20 Eurofighter aircraft in October 2025. ## UK arms exports fuelling two genocides The most important policy question on arms sales facing the newly-elected Labour government in 2024 concerned arms sales to Israel in the face of the ongoing Gaza genocide. Most importantly, there were concerns over the supply of components for the F-35 combat jets. Israel now possesses 48 of these aircraft, 15% of which is made in the UK. Israel has been using its F-35s in so-called “beast mode” to bomb Gaza. Activists have denounced the government’s moral failings, for suspending only a small number of arms export licences to Israel. And they highlight an exception to the UK’s own arms export criteria which allows the continuing supply of F-35 components to Israel via the US. The report also draws attention to government failures around the genocidal conflict in Sudan. Both the ruling Sudan Armed Forces regime and the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have committed atrocities. The RSF stands accused of genocide and the use of starvation as a weapon of war. The RSF depends heavily on arms supplies from the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is a significant UK arms customer, with £825m worth of arms export licences issued between 2020-24. The UK government took no action to halt arms sales to the UAE. And this was even after receiving evidence from the UN that UK-supplied military equipment to the UAE had been found in the hands of the RSF. In fact, arms export licences to the UAE surged in late 2024. Report author Dr Sam Perlo-Freeman, CAAT’s research co-ordinator, said: > Taken together, the cases of Israel, Turkey, and the UAE show that the new government has no more interest than the last in centering human rights and international law in its arms trade policies, rather putting the interests of the arms industry front and centre in an unrestrained sales drive. > > The decision to jettison the arms export criteria to allow continued F-35 component supplies to Israel, in particular, reveals an export control system that is broken beyond repair. ## Further details in the report As well as discussing these issues, the report: * Presents detailed data and analysis of export licence data in 2024, showing key trends, major recipients, and an analysis of the declining transparency of the data. * Analyses the different sources of information on UK arms supplies to Ukraine, including from the House of Commons Library, the government’s Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls, and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). * Presents and discusses SIPRI data on UK exports of “major conventional weapons” which, in contrast to the export licence data, shows UK exports remaining at historically low levels, with few recent deliveries of major platforms such as aircraft and warships. This partly reflects the fact that a large part of UK arms exports involves components, subsystems, and services, not covered by the SIPRI data. However, recent major contracts such as Eurofighter sales to Turkey and warship sales to Norway suggest this measure may also see an increase in the coming years. *Featured image via the Canary* By [The Canary][5] [1]: https://caat.org.uk/publications/uk-arms-exports-in-2024-data-trends-and-key-issues/ [2]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/31/how-many-countries-has-trump-bombed-in-2025 [3]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/01/14/the-cradle/ [4]: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-defence-and-security-exports [5]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/ https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/18/uk-arms-exports-soar-to-a-record-9-2bn-as-transparency-declines/

Court protest in support of water bills boycotter [Southern Water outflow at Worthing beach sewage water bills] The founders of the Boycott Water Bills movement are holding a protest in Margate on Thursday 19 March. It comes ahead of long-time boycotter Julie Wassmer’s showdown with Southern Water. Kent-based author and environmental campaigner Wassmer faces imminent court action for her four year payment boycott of Southern Water bills. She has maintained this in protest at the company’s unacceptable sewage pollution record. Wassmer, a [co-founder of award-winning campaign group Boycott Water Bills][1], said: > Southern Water is a criminal company – a serious serial offender regarding sewage pollution and I aim to highlight how UK water companies are evading responsibility for poor service via a selective use of the Water Industry Act 1991. Fellow [Boycott Water Bills co-founder Katy Colley says the website has seen a flood of new sign-ups][2] following the screening of the [*Channel 4* drama *Dirty Business*][3]. The three-part series exposes the collusion between water companies and regulators at the heart of the current sewage crisis. Colley, from Hastings, said: > Every day people from all over the country are getting in touch to say they will join the boycott. > > We should be pursing the criminal polluters who poison our waters with impunity instead of weaponising the law against a few brave individuals in the interests of big business. Wassmer will be joined by Kent and Sussex boycotters and Green councillors, as well as local clean water campaign groups. Mark Hood, Green group leader on Kent county council, said: > We fully support Julie Wassmer who has bravely stood up to the water companies whose monopoly has been a disaster for Kent and our environment and who have consistently put profit before tackling pollution. > > Nonpayment isn’t a course of action which people take lightly but when Julie became aware of Southern Water’s record of sewage pollution to the beaches and seas she loves, she decided that she had no other choice. > > The water industry needs to be returned to public ownership so that every penny of profit can be used to improve infrastructure instead of paying shareholders. *Featured image via the Canary* By [The Canary][4] [1]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2023/11/16/water-bills-boycott-sewage/ [2]: https://www.boycottwaterbills.com/post/c4-s-dirty-business-drives-flood-of-new-boycotters-to-take-action [3]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/06/no-more-dirty-business-campaigners-challenge-14-years-of-illegal-thames-water-pollution/ [4]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/ https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/18/court-protest-in-support-of-water-bills-boycotter/

Israel minister’s daughter posted on social media she would not choose suicide [israel] As *Skwawkbox* [reported][1] on Tuesday 17 March 2026, Israeli government minister’s daughter Shoshana Strook has been found dead in suspicious circumstances. She had just appointed lawyers to pursue justice for the crimes against her. Strook had spent months speaking publicly about allegations of physical and sexual abuse. In several social media posts she outlined how her mother, father, and brother had abused her since childhood. Authorities in Israel have claimed to be investigating the circumstances of her death. However, Strook’s own words before she died are extremely worrying, to say the least. But the evidence may have already started to be erased. ## “If they tell you I committed suicide – don’t believe it” Strook had [accused][2] her mother, far-right settlements minister Orit Strook, along with her father and one of her brothers, of raping her for years during her childhood and filming it. In December 2025, Shoshana Strook warned her Facebook followers that she was in danger of murder to silence her. And she told them not to believe a word of it if she was found dead and it was called suicide, or an ‘accident’. A screenshot of the post, translated from Hebrew, is below in case the original is scrubbed: ## Strook/Strock That Facebook post still – at the time of writing – [exists][3]. However, Shoshana’s name on that page is “Strock”, rather than “Strook”. However, the two are interchangeable in Hebrew, which does not use vowels in the same way as European languages – and “Strock” is even Orit’s name on her official Knesset [profile][4]. Or it was, early on Tuesday evening. By the time of writing, that profile has been deleted or otherwise made inaccessible: As such, so have any records of the same page on the Wayback Machine archive and archive.li. But too late – *Skwawkbox* had already saved a screenshot of the Knesset page proof: Strock has not, at the time of writing, announced her resignation from her ministerial post or her position as a member of the Knesset, so that potential excuse for deleting her page doesn’t apply. And the scrubbing of the Strook-Strock interchangeability hasn’t – at least yet – been thorough enough. Orit **Strock** is still demonstrably [named][5] in coverage of Shoshana’s ‘suicide’ (archive) by the *Times of Israel:* She is also named as “Strock” by the *[Jewish News Syndicate][6]*, [*Haaretz*][7], the [Jerusalem Post][8] and others. Shoshana Strock’s Facebook page is that of Shoshana Strook and vice versa, as also shown by the numerous videos she uploaded straight to it. ## Israel has a paedophile problem As *Skwawkbox* said in its first report of Shoshana Strock’s death, the issue of child rape among Zionists is not limited to Israelis or the Israeli extreme right. The Netanyahu regime is [currently ignoring well over 2,000 extradition requests for alleged and convicted paedophiles][9] who fled there from other countries. Others have been [convicted in the US][10], while the Zionist UK Labour party right also has a [long record][11] of paedophiles and other sex offenders. Israeli psychotherapist and trauma expert Dr Anat Gur, head of the Bar-Ilan University trauma therapy program, has said that she believes organised child rape in Israel is widespread: > Organized child rape is one of the most horrific things I’ve encountered. It’s likely much more widespread than we think. It’s happening in places we least expect. Strook’s death mirrors the [long list of suspicious deaths][12] among victims and associates of serial child-rapist and Israeli spy Jeffrey Epstein. These deaths include that of [Virginia Giuffre][13], Epstein’s most well-known victim – who was also [found dead after saying she would not.][14] [Jean-Luc Brunel][15], the French ‘modelling agent’ [accused of procuring underage girls for Epstein][16], was found dead of supposed suicide in a French prison in 2022. If Shoshana Strock’s death is suspicious because of her recent comment that claims of her suicide would be false, then the disappearance of her mother’s official “Strock” page does nothing to dispel those suspicions. *Featured image via the Canary* By [Skwawkbox][17] [1]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/17/israel-strook/ [2]: https://skwawkbox.org/2025/04/12/video-daughter-of-israeli-minister-says-parents-filmed-her-rape-asks-police-to-protect-her-from-them/ [3]: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=122158599854765019&id=61572950590146&rdid=bVm485BvNd5wKmEW# [4]: https://share.google/DzJWjrI0N9eZm1Tbn [5]: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/daughter-of-settlements-minister-orit-strock-found-dead-no-suspicion-of-criminal-involvement/ [6]: https://www.jns.org/topic/orit-strock/ [7]: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-07-21/ty-article/.premium/far-right-minister-urges-expanding-gaza-offensive-at-the-risk-of-killing-israeli-hostages/00000198-2c6a-de27-a5fe-2feb2a450000 [8]: https://www.jpost.com/tags/orit-struck [9]: https://skwawkbox.org/2025/08/20/israel-ignores-well-over-2000-extradition-requests-for-paedophiles/ [10]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/11/alexander-brothers-convicted/ [11]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/01/06/liron-velleman/ [12]: https://uinterview.com/news/22-people-connected-to-jeffrey-epstein-have-died-under-mysterious-circumstances/ [13]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/03/buckingham-palace/ [14]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2025/10/20/virginia-giuffre-prime-minister/ [15]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60443518 [16]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/19/jean-luc-brunel-held-on-suspicion-of-supplying-girls-to-epstein-found-hanged [17]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/ https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/18/israel-strook-2/

The PM’s cost of living policies aren’t just piecemeal – they’re dire [Cost of living - Keir Starmer pushing back some of the hair from his forehead and looking casual in a suit without a tie and top button of his shirt undone] In a speech outside Downing Street this week, [Keir Starmer][1] spoke about his cost of living policies. The thing is, his remarks take the phrase a ‘band aid for a bullet wound’ to new heights. Nearly all of [these policies][2] are reheated. They had already been announced. ## Cost of living policies explained The energy price cap until June — an attempt to shield Britons from volatile international energy prices — was announced in February. However, energy bills still rose on average by 68% (£713) between the winter of 2020 and 2025. This policy does next to nothing to address the overall and spiralling cost of living. If Labour was serious about homegrown energy, the Prime Minister would deliver a [Green New Deal,][3] like he pledged to while [campaigning to become Labour leader][4]. This would mean Iran’s retaliatory blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route, would have no impact on UK energy prices. It would also bring energy into public ownership — another way to make bills significantly cheaper. Instead, Starmer said in his speech on Monday: > we have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ensure stability in the market. Labour’s cut in fuel duty is also not a new policy. It’s a Conservative one from 2022 that Labour is actually removing in September rather than “extending” as Starmer presented in the speech. Labour is in fact bringing the [first increase to fuel duty since 2011][5]. Rather than investing in modern development, Starmer also said he will make provisions for petrol stations to publish prices. The climate crisis means we need to swiftly move away from oil powered vehicles, not encourage them. The 1945 Clement Attlee government delivered huge change, such as nationalising 20% of the economy. This brought down inflation for decades through a price drop in the essentials that every business and person relies on. It shows the government taking an active and strategic hand in the economy is entirely possible. *Featured image via the Canary* By [James Wright][6] [1]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/03/27/cost-of-living-payments-claim/ [2]: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-remarks-16-march-2026 [3]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/02/green-deal-needed-to-mitigate-gas-prices/ [4]: https://www.thecanary.co/editorial/2024/03/28/starmer-wistfully-says-he-wants-promises-to-matter-again-after-lying-his-way-to-the-leadership/ [5]: https://fullfact.org/politics/fuel-duty-plans-2026/ [6]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/james/ https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/18/cost-of-living-starmer/

Senegal launch legal challenge after AFCON title revoked [AFCON] Hours after the [shock caused by the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to award Morocco][1] the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and declare Senegal the loser with a 3-0 scoreline, the Senegalese Football Federation announced it would launch a new legal battle to defend the rights of its national team and fans. The federation will officially appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to overturn the decision, considering what happened a serious deviation from legal and administrative procedures. The federation’s general secretary, Abdoulaye Sow has called the decision a “travesty.” [Sow said:][2] > This is a travesty; this decision is based on absolutely nothing. It has no legal foundation … The president of the federation will get in touch with the lawyers; we will engage with the appropriate authorities, and then we will go to the court of arbitration for sport, which will issue the final decision. He added: > We will not back down. Senegalese people should have no doubt. The truth is on Senegal’s side, the law is on Senegal’s side. ## AFCON debacle The Senegalese Football Federation described the procedures preceding the decision as arbitrary and without any legal basis, anticipating that the case will turn into a lengthy legal battle that could affect the fate of the tournament and reopen one of the most controversial Africa Cup of Nations finals. In concluding his remarks, Sow reassured the fans, affirming that the fight is not over and that the federation is striving to restore justice and the title that the national team won on the field. He confirmed that communication is ongoing with all relevant parties to guarantee Senegal’s rights. With the case now before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the world awaits the outcome of this legal battle, in a new chapter of African football’s history, already full of controversy and drama. *Featured image via the Canary* By [Alaa Shamali][3] [1]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/17/afcon-title-morocco-wins-appeal/ [2]: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/mar/18/senegal-appeal-africa-cup-of-nations-title-stripped-morocco [3]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/alaa-shamali/ https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/18/afcon-revoke/

US and Israel’s illegal war on Iran could cost 100,000 UK jobs [US assault on Iran threatens UK jobs] Trump and Netanyahu’s illegal war on Iran has sent energy prices skyrocketing. The effect on energy-intensive industries in the UK has been immediate and severe. And, as a knock-on effect, as many as 100,000 jobs could be lost across the UK. Of course, we won’t shed a tear for the impact on highly polluting industries themselves. However, the situation is a striking illustration of the vulnerability created by the UK’s desperate reliance on increasingly volatile fossil fuels. ## The Straight of Hormuz The current grab for fuel began after Iran closed off the Straight of Hormuz. Around a fifth of the world’s oil passes through the narrow waterway. As such, the US and Israel have accidentally made Iran[ a global oil superpower][1]. This is the[ view of air warfare scholar][2] Professor Robert Pape, whose [damning critique][3] of the attack on Iran has generated wide interest recently. On 12 March, Pape said that: > Iran hit 16 vessels so far in Strait of Hormuz. > > That’s all it takes for Iran to control 20% of the world’s oil and become an oil hegemon — the number 1 strategic outcome US has sought to prevent in Middle East since 1970s. The Iran war has [already caused a spike][4] in Brent crude oil prices, up from $60 in January to around $100. This is already being called the biggest disruption to oil supplies in history. Likewise, [wholesale gas prices][5] in the UK have risen to 171p a therm, more than double last month’s 78p. This is the highest they’ve been since the beginning of Russia’s war on Ukraine. The already-failing UK chemicals industry is also being hit hard. The sector uses fossil fuels not only for power, but also as raw materials for its products. Production in the industry had already dropped by 60% since 2021, with 25 sites shuttering, with more are teetering on the brink as the Iran war rages on. ## Unemployment ‘closer to 6 percent’ As a direct consequence, some economists [have suggested that over][6] 100,000 jobs could be cut within months. Likewise, the uncertainty over energy prices has led to speculation that the Bank of England won’t make its expected cuts to interest rates anytime soon. James Smith, of investment bank ING, opined that employers may seek to make up for rising energy costs by slashing jobs. Smith said: > It depends how long energy prices stay high. If we’re in a scenario where the disruption lasts three months or so, then I would imagine [unemployment would be] be pushing above 5.5pc. Smith also stated that the previous shocks from the war on Ukraine had left the economy in a weakened state. He said: > Now, it’s very different. We saw this last year with the hospitality sector, where we had the big rise in National Insurance and the minimum wage. We saw a sharp drop in employment and no discernible impact on prices. > > These sectors that are most affected by higher energy prices, particularly in the service sector, don’t have the pricing power that they did in 2022. They’re more likely to deal with higher energy costs by cutting back their worker numbers. Jordan Rochester, of Mizuho bank, echoed this sentiment. He suggested that the UK’s unemployment rates—already at a worrying peak—will likely increase: > If the rate of unemployment’s ascent matches that of the past year, it would defy forecasts again and put us closer to 6% rather than 5%. ## Environmental fallout Similarly, industry body Make UK highlighted that UK businesses are putting up their prices at the fastest rate since 2023. The trade body’s senior economist, Fhaheen Khan, stated that: > While output and investment show some improvement after a challenging end to last year, rising costs and weakening domestic demand are creating real pressures for businesses. > > With UK industrial energy costs among the highest in the developed world, any sustained increase in oil and gas prices could quickly push up input costs, squeezing margins and limiting investment. Meanwhile, the soaring price of fossil fuels will not be accompanied by a corresponding drop in pollution. [US and Israeli strikes have hit][7] Iranian nuclear facilities, munitions stockpiles, and oil refineries. As a result, Iran is suffering toxic black rain, clouds of unbreathable smog, and catastrophic environmental effects that [will be felt for generations to come][8]. The situation—in the UK, Iran and across the world—is a stark reminder of the fact that the decisions of tyrants like Trump and Netanyahu have consequences far beyond their own countries—and those of the foreign citizens they murder with impunity. *Featured image via [Unsplash][9]/the Canary* By [Alex/Rose Cocker][10] [1]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/02/28/iran-hormuz/ [2]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/13/iran-strait-oil/ [3]: https://time.com/7382278/iran-bombing-regime-change-pape/ [4]: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/03/16/extra-100000-britons-out-of-work-within-months/ [5]: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/17/iran-war-energy-uk-europe-steel-chemicals [6]: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/03/16/extra-100000-britons-out-of-work-within-months/ [7]: https://theconversation.com/in-war-torn-iran-air-pollution-from-burning-oil-depots-and-bombed-buildings-unleashes-invisible-health-threats-278407 [8]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/17/iran-war-toxicity/ [9]: https://unsplash.com/photos/man-in-white-dress-shirt-standing-near-white-and-black-camera-U7N4fMhJpEg [10]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/alexrosecocker/ https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2026/03/17/iran-war-could-spike-uk-unemployment/

Taliban official says Pakistan airstrike on Kabul addiction centre killed 400 [Pakistan airstrike rocks Kabul] A senior Taliban official has said that Pakistan killed 408 people in an airstrike which targeted a drug rehab clinic in Kabul. The strike landed at 9pm on 16 March, allegedly wounded over 200, in addition to those killed. A Pakistani official said they had only targeted ‘military’ and ‘terrorist’ infrastructure. Taliban spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat [posted][1] on X: > The Pakistani military regime carried out an airstrike at approximately 9:00 PM this evening on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility dedicated to the treatment of drug addiction. As a result of the attack, large sections of the hospital have been destroyed, and there are serious concerns about a high number of casualties. > > Unfortunately, the death toll has so far reached 400, while around 250 others have been reported injured. Rescue teams are currently at the scene working to control the fire and recover the remaining bodies of the victims. The information minister of Pakistan, Attaullah Tarar, shared the following details: > [✅] 17 March 2026 > > [✅] Pakistan’s Armed Forces successfully carried out precision airstrikes on the night of 16 March as a part of Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, targeting Afghan Taliban regime terrorism sponsoring military installations in Kabul and Nangarhar. > > [✅] Technical support… [pic.twitter.com/b8YJkGC0cv][2] > > — Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) [March 16, 2026][3] ## Doomsday scenes Reporters on the scene found wreckage and charred bodies at the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital. Survivors described horrific scenes and a major loss of life. A guard at the medical facility named Ahmad [told][4] *Reuters*: > He and his 25 roommates had gathered in their dormitory after prayers when the attack occurred. He ​was the only survivor among them. Recalling the aftermath, [the guard likened the scene to “doomsday,][5]” adding that the “the whole place caught fire.” Hospital worker Mohammad Mian [told][6] *Reuters*: > many young people under treatment lived in large containers on the campus and very few ​survived the strike…It was extremely terrifying. Those who survived were the ones whose rooms were not destroyed ​and were fortunate. But the places where the bombs were dropped, everyone there was killed. Speaking to reporters, ambulance driver ​Haji Fahim, who helped move bodies to another Kabul hospital, [said][7]: > Now we have come again … there are still bodies under the rubble. Border tensions between the two countries, building for several months, have turned into a hot war. ## Afghanistan-Pakistan border war Fighting between the formerly US-occupied nation and Pakistan (itself a US partner) kicked off in February. At the time, the *Canary *[reported][8] how Pakistani officials were already calling the confrontation an ‘open war’ back in late February. In an explainer *Reuters* [said][9]: > Allies-turned-foes ⁠Pakistan and Afghanistan’s worst fighting in years erupted last month, with Pakistani air strikes inside Afghanistan ​that Islamabad said targeted militant strongholds. > Afghanistan called the strikes a violation of its sovereignty that ​targeted civilians, and launched retaliatory operations. Now a ubiquitous feature of warfare, drones have been [deployed][10] by both sides: > Over the last three weeks, both countries have launched air and drone strikes against each other and also engaged in ground firing across their 2,600-km (1,600-mile) border, with each claiming ​to have inflicted heavy damage and killed hundreds of opposition troops, without providing evidence. With most of the world’s attention on the US-Israel assault on Iran, the Afghanistan-Pakistan war is slipping under the radar. Yet the legacies of US—and British—imperialism in the region continues to produce war, insurgency, and horrific outcomes for civilians on both sides of the border still known as the Durand Line (in honour of [a British diplomat ][11]who died over a century ago). *Featured image [via X][12]/Canary* By [Joe Glenton][13] [1]: https://x.com/FitratHamd/status/2033674000547581953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2033674000547581953%7Ctwgr%5Eacfc88adbccd02e1fd639981bc3d6da04e028035%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.com%2Fen%2F400-killed-in-pakistani-strike-on-kabul-hospital-taliban%2Fa-76388222 [2]: https://t.co/b8YJkGC0cv [3]: https://twitter.com/TararAttaullah/status/2033694140605861960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw [4]: https://archive.ph/EGvDF#selection-1457.0-1461.90 [5]: https://archive.ph/EGvDF#selection-1457.0-1461.90 [6]: https://archive.ph/EGvDF#selection-1457.0-1461.90 [7]: https://archive.ph/EGvDF#selection-1457.0-1461.90 [8]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-news/2026/02/27/pakistan-declares-open/ [9]: https://archive.ph/sSvn1#selection-1357.0-1373.294 [10]: https://archive.ph/sSvn1#selection-1357.0-1373.294 [11]: https://defencejournal.com/2021/11/10/the-durand-line-legend-and-legacy/ [12]: https://x.com/shorts_91/status/2033897643227947340/photo/1 [13]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/joeglenton/ https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/17/pakistan-strike-on-kabul-addiction-centre-kills-400/

The government want to use AI to criminalise your child [Campaign to ban predictive policing] The UK government is rolling out an AI-empowered predictive policing system to predict the “likelihood” of criminal offences among adolescents. [Open Rights Group][1] is warning of the risks and limitations of using AI to determine the “most likely offenders.” In conversation with the Canary, [Mariano delli Santi of Open Rights Group][2] explained that these systems are likely to single out children in care and alert authorities to targeted interventions. This means so-called predictive data models will be used to target vulnerable children. ## AI is racist because it mimics society Delli Santi said: > They say they want to help, that they will use this system to target children who are at risk of criminality, with support and therefore to prevent them from becoming criminals. However the way artificial intelligence and predictive policing works, tells us that this may not be everything in this story. These systems will inevitably reflect society’s prejudices and stereotypes, making them inherently racist and classist, revealing problematic outcomes of predictive policing in practice. The system, delli Santi explains, risks reproducing: > bias and stereotypes at scale. Black people, migrant people, poor people, people from geographic areas which have been historically over policed are more likely to be identified as at risk of committing a crime. AI, as we’ve all come to discover, is massively racist. As the *Canary* has previously reported,[ 4/5 of people misidentified by facial recognition are Black][3]. ## Harvesting NHS data Beyond bias, the unethical sourcing of data is another concern delli Santi identifies. The government wants to [pull data from the NHS][4], police, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and the Department for Education. So anything you tell your doctor could be used to box children into the ‘future criminal’ category. Consequently, AI-driven predictive policing may use NHS records for risk calculation. Commenting on this Delli Santi tells the *Canary:* > When you go to your doctor, you expect to be able to tell them what you need to tell them, in order to receive medical treatment and you trust them to not use this data in a way that you will not expect. > > If however the government starts to grab data from your general practitioner from your schools…in order to predict whether your child is going to commit a crime or not, this relationship of trust is going to be broken. People will go to their doctor and will have less trust and will think more carefully about what they’re going to disclose and reveal to them or not. His warning is clear: > Predictive policing is a dangerous thing that has no place in a democratic society. The government are hellbent on pushing through this policy which will criminalise your kids. However, Open Rights Group is campaigning to introduce a ban on predictive policing. You can [join the campaign here.][5] *Featured image via the Canary* By [Rachel Charlton-Dailey][6] [1]: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DV---UElZpc/?igsh=enh4MTJtdWJwenkx [2]: https://www.openrightsgroup.org/who-we-are/mariano-delli-santi/ [3]: https://www.google.com/search?q=predictive+policing+the+canary&sca_esv=4ae20d8bd47daad1&rlz=1C5CHFA_enGB1122GB1123&sxsrf=ANbL-n6asDPHZNOHo-zNIOWODo5_zn9RXQ%3A1773761350313&ei=RnO5abTjEre7hbIP5sSayA0&biw=1470&bih=712&ved=0ahUKEwi0ns75n6eTAxW3XUEAHWaiBtkQ4dUDCBM&uact=5&oq=predictive+policing+the+canary&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiHnByZWRpY3RpdmUgcG9saWNpbmcgdGhlIGNhbmFyeTIOEAAYgAQYsAMYhgMYigUyDhAAGIAEGLADGIYDGIoFMg4QABiABBiwAxiGAxiKBTIIEAAYsAMY7wUyCBAAGLADGO8FSMIOUJ0EWLQLcAF4AJABAJgBmQGgAZ0CqgEDMC4yuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIDoAKiAsICBxAjGLACGCfCAggQABiABBiiBMICBRAAGO8FmAMA4gMFEgExIECIBgGQBgWSBwMxLjKgB_ALsgcDMC4yuAegAsIHAzEuMsgHA4AIAA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp [4]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/15/uk-hospitals-urged-to-scrap-palantir-over-health-and-human-rights-risks/ [5]: https://www.openrightsgroup.org/what-we-do/ [6]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/rachel-charlton-dailey/ https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/17/predictive-policing-risks-criminalising-children/

Wild Justice wins High Court ruling on Dartmoor overgrazing [Dartmoor overgrazing] The High Court has ruled that the Dartmoor Commoners’ Council (DCC) has mismanaged Dartmoor commons. DCC did nothing to assess or prevent overgrazing, resulting in the deterioration of important wildlife areas. [Environmental][1] campaign group [Wild Justice][2] brought the claim. It argued that DCC had failed to meet its legal responsibilities towards the conservation of the commons. The High Court judgment on 17 March ruled that DCC has failed in its legal duty under the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985 to assess the number of animals which should be allowed to graze on Dartmoor. Dartmoor commons is an open area of land which covers more than two-thirds of Dartmoor National Park, spanning just under 36,000 hectares. The Dartmoor Commons Act grants certain rights over the land to some 850 landowners, known as ‘commoners’. These include grazing rights and the rights to keep sheep, cattle and ponies. ## Monitoring overgrazing on Dartmoor The Dartmoor Commons Act also contains statutory responsibilities that DCC has to ensure the conservation of the commons. Wild Justice argued DCC failed to meet these responsibilities, alongside general duties under wildlife laws and regulations. In [a July 2025 High Court hearing][3], Wild Justice successfully argued that DCC failed to make periodic assessments of whether Dartmoor was becoming overstocked. This contravened section 4 of the Dartmoor Commons Act. In his judgment, Justice Mould found: > Assessment of the number of animals that may properly be depastured on the commons at any given time necessarily implies both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The question for the Defendant is whether stocking levels exceed the capacity of the commons properly to accommodate them. > > In order to address that question, among the matters which the Defendant needs to interrogate are the numbers of livestock which commoners are entitled to depasture on the commons, the numbers that are actually depastured in reliance on rights of common, the areas of common in respect of which those rights are enjoyed and exercised, seasonal variations, and so on. In 2023, the government published an assessment of Dartmoor commons (the *Fursdon Review*). It found that Dartmoor was “not in a good state”. In assessing a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on the commons, the *Fursdon Review* found that many of them were in unfavourable condition. It also noted that Natural England had identified reducing stock numbers as a way to tackle overgrazing and return these areas to a more favourable condition. Wild Justice began its legal claim in July 2024, when the group sent a pre-action protocol to DCC. It detailed alleged issues with DCC’s management of the commons, citing the *Fursdon Review*. From DCC’s response it was clear that it had not taken any steps to control livestock. This led to Wild Justice filing a judicial review challenge in August 2024. In February 2025, the challenge got the green light to proceed to the High Court, with two further grounds gaining permission in April. Bob Elliot, CEO of Wild Justice, said: > This judgment shows that the Dartmoor Commoners’ Council failed to do the most basic of work needed in order to understand how many animals the Dartmoor Commons can sustain. When such an important landscape is already in very poor ecological condition, this simply isn’t good enough. > > The Dartmoor Commoners’ Council must now carry out the proper assessment required by law and ensure that Dartmoor is managed in a way that allows nature to recover. We will be scrutinising that assessment and, importantly, how DCC acts upon it in areas where overgrazing is apparent. Senior environmental solicitor Carol Day, of Leigh Day, was a member of the legal team representing Wild Justice. She said: > Wild Justice is obviously pleased that the judge has found that Dartmoor Commoners’ Council has failed in its statutory duty to properly assess the number of livestock grazing on Dartmoor. It has been clear for years that overgrazing is one of the major issues leading to the ecological decline of Dartmoor’s important wildlife habitats. > > Wild Justice ‘s legal challenge means the DCC must now comply with its minimum legal duties as the regulator of grazing levels on the commons. The DCC must now urgently carry out a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the number of livestock on the commons so that it can consider whether it must take steps to reduce that number. *Featured image via the Canary* By [The Canary][4] [1]: https://www.thecanary.co/topics/environment/ [2]: https://wildjustice.org.uk/ [3]: https://www.leighday.co.uk/news/news/2025-news/legal-challenge-to-overgrazing-on-dartmoor-commons-to-be-heard-in-high-court/ [4]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/ https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/17/wild-justice-wins-high-court-ruling-on-dartmoor-overgrazing/

Anti-choice Lords are coming for the ‘pills by post’ abortion scheme [UK abortion law reform] A small set of women in the House of Lords are trying to [end access to abortion telemedicine][1]. More commonly known as the ‘pills by post’ scheme introduced during Covid-19 to ensure continued safe access to pregnancy terminations via remote consultations. It was made permanent in March 2022. MPs tabled a similar proposal to end telemedicine access in summer 2025—however, it was quickly voted down. This time around, Tory peer Philippa Stroud tabled the motion as an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill. This circumvents the Commons, who have already voted the bill through. ## Opponents of bodily autonomy The version of the bill which passed through the Commons effectively [decriminalises abortion altogether][2]. As such, Stroud’s motion is an extreme reversal of the bill’s intent, subverting it into an attack on reproductive rights. Stroud is backed by Kwisher Falkner, former head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and Sharon Davies, an ex-swimmer. It’s notable that all three women are also known for their transphobia. Stroud[ founded a night shelter/church][3] which attempted to ‘cure’ transsexuality and homosexuality by driving out demons. However, she denies this characterisation—in spite of victims’ testimonies. Under Falkner’s leadership, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) took a[ hard pivot from a trans-positive][4] stance to extreme hostility. Likewise, Davies[ threatened to sue][5] amateur womens’ sporting bodies that allowed trans people to participate. Davies is also [a vocal critic of drag][6], even complaining when the *BBC *ran a performer’s obituary. These points are worth bearing in mind, given that transphobes often claim to be ‘defending women’. However, as this attack on abortion rights demonstrates, it’s never just about trans people. Eventually, they also turn out to be opponents of bodily autonomy itself—whether that be sexuality, gender, or abortion rights. ## Anti-choice is anti-choice In an* *article on the anti-choice motion, the* Telegraph *stated that critics claim the postal scheme is “open to abuse”. However, the article could not cite even one case of coercive abortion in telemedicine’s four-year history. Davies [describes herself as pro-choice,][7] although that apparently doesn’t extend to choices she doesn’t want people to make. She stated in the *Telegraph *that: > being pro-choice does not excuse jeopardising safety or allowing a ‘Wild West’ of abortion pills, where pills can too easily fall into the hands of abusers coercing abortions, traffickers covering up abuse or women whose pregnancies are approaching full term. > > The practical effect of the scheme is that women at any stage of pregnancy can get hold of abortion pills by misleading abortion providers on the phone about their gestation, either mistakenly or deliberately as in the case of Carla Foster, who was sent abortion pills by BPAS after pretending to be seven weeks pregnant when actually around 33 weeks. > > Reintroducing in-person medical consultations for women seeking abortions is not about reducing access to abortion but ensuring safeguarding and best practice. Note the turn in Davies’ language here. She starts by talking about coercion, and then quickly pivots to ‘concerns’ about people procuring the pills of their own volition. Again, this is not about safeguarding pregnant people; it’s an attack on bodily autonomy. ## Lords’ debate The British Pregnancy Advisory Service itself has stated that people[ should not have to visit a clinic for abortion][8] pills. Research has demonstrated the safety of the process from a medical standpoint. Likewise, vulnerable individuals in abusive relationships can also talk to a professional more easily over the phone than by visiting a clinic in person. Tomorrow, 18 March, the House of Lords will debate the Crime and Policing Bill. In June 2025, the amendment to decriminalise abortion passed in the Commons with a massive 379 votes in favour, versus just 137 against. As such, the Lords now have the opportunity to strike a historic blow in favour of reproductive rights and bodily autonomy. Alternatively, they can follow in Stroud’s footsteps, and impose further unnecessary limits to abortion access. *Featured image [via Aiden Frazier][9]/Unsplash* By [Alex/Rose Cocker][10] [1]: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/03/14/abortion-pills-by-post-must-be-banned-say-peers/ [2]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/16/abortion-arrests/ [3]: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/may/02/conservatives-philippa-stroud-gay-cure [4]: https://www.vice.com/en/article/ehrc-staff-quitting-transphobia/ [5]: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/law/article/sharron-davies-women-sports-union-trans-athletes-prcr88vsm?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqfNzh-Ryg074FL4u0p6ihJOu5BnbE9fGQFICH-Q-LAg5fzBFKAP_dnAeD9tPpc%3D&gaa_ts=69b94dd1&gaa_sig=nrKb8XTn_RU4pLZxeLPWHm-ihSdy6_2gq0xIP5B1eOX6LDdNVLfZZRzhfRzw31gzR0CKlKZESxy0ETcVP6ClfQ%3D%3D [6]: https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/04/29/sharron-davies-bbc-drag-race-jiggly-caliente/ [7]: https://www.christian.org.uk/news/sharron-davies-scrap-pills-by-post-scheme-to-protect-women/ [8]: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/03/14/abortion-pills-by-post-must-be-banned-say-peers/ [9]: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-man-holding-a-sign-that-says-my-vagina-is-my-choice-hTJ8LO1PSIQ [10]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/alexrosecocker/ https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/17/abortion-bill-reform-pills-by-post/