As freedom draws ever closer (only three weeks until the pubs open!), another hectic week full of big news stories has flown by. As ever, before we get onto the serious stuff, we pick our moment of the week, this time provided by a group of around 50 people in Hastings, who were dispersed by the police after they performed the iconic Hokey Cokey:
Woooooooaaaaaaaah you're on the telly...Woooooooaaaaaaaah COVID is deadly...
In the major story of this week, protests regarding the Sarah Everard case continued, as demonstrators gathered in Parliament Square, outside Scotland Yard, and on Westminster Bridge as anger over her death, and the police response to vigils around the country, grows. The vigil I was planning to attend in Durham was cancelled, and students were warned to stay away - we were scared off. The police response to this tragedy has been a disgrace, and when the newly proposed policing bill is inevitably pushed through despite fierce opposition, they will have new powers to crack down on protests like this, as they did for the vigil in Clapham Common. We cannot concede the right to protest freely without a fight - everything that can be done, we must do to #KillTheBill.
Up in Scotland, a committee found this week that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon 'misled parliament' over the Alex Salmond investigation into sexual harassment, potentially breaking the ministerial code of conduct. In her evidence to the committee, Sturgeon claimed she stated she would not intervene in the Salmond investigation- but testimony from Salmond himself and others contradicts this. A separate report into this potential breach is set to be published in the coming days - it could be an incredibly significant moment for Scottish politics should she be forced out.
In other news, a report this week into child sex abuse in football found that the FA "did not do enough to keep children safe", after reports of the widespread abuse since the 1970s emerged in the mid-1990s at no less than eight major English clubs. The inaction and ignorance of football's governing bodies towards issues in the game is clearly demonstrated by the report, which described the shocking naivety of clubs and the FA towards the problem - and makes me pessimistic about the fight against racism, which, up to now, has only consisted of condemnation and token gestures. Just as real action was needed long before it happened in the case of child sex abuse, I worry that we will be saying the same about racism in the game in ten, or even twenty years time.
Elsewhere, the Prince Philip left hospital this week after a month of treatment for a heart condition, with photographs of the Duke doing little to allay fear for his health. It is safe to say the 99-year-old appears to have used up at least twelve of his nine lives...
Overseas, it was announced this week that international spectators will not be allowed to attend the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo due to the coronavirus pandemic. The games, which have already been postponed by a year, will now only be seen in person by home audiences, in what is a real shame for the country, who undoubtedly would've hosted a fantastic event under normal circumstances. We can only hope that it will be sooner rather than later that we get to go and watch events like these again...
A rare decree from the Vatican appeared this week, disappointing many Catholics around the world as the Pope approved a statement describing homosexuality as a "sin", and affirming that Catholic priests cannot bless same-sex unions. Despite seeming initially to have a warmer view towards LGBTQ+ people, previously supporting same-sex civil unions and stating the need to include them in the Church, Pope Francis seems to have regressed back to traditional teachings and the alienation of LGBTQ+ people.
In Israel, protests over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the pandemic and alleged corruption continued into their ninth month, now just days before the fourth general election in only two years. Thousands gathered outside Netanyahu's home in Jerusalem, calling for a 'revolution' and his resignation - despite polls still suggesting the election will be a tight race, with Bibi's ruling Likud party still the largest. Stay tuned this week for my 'What's Going On In...' series, in which I'll take a closer look at the tumultuous politics of the country, and indeed the region as a whole.
Finally, awards season continued this week as the 2021 Oscar nominations were announced, with women faring better than in previous years, including two Best Director nominations in Emerald Fennell and Chloe Zhao. "Mank", Netflix's screenplay about the development of classic film "Citizen Kane" leads the nominations this year with 10 nods, which also includes a record number of nominations for people of colour. It seems like the big awards are finally realising their past mistakes and diversifying nominations - hopefully this is reflected in the winners, and continues in the coming years.
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