Latest news with #EmilyMaitlis
Middle East Eye
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
British Jewish journalists call for Israel to allow media access to Gaza
Leading British Jewish journalists have signed a letter calling on Israel to allow foreign media access to the Gaza Strip. The letter, signed by ITV political editor Robert Peston and The News Agents hosts Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel among others, also criticised Egypt's restrictions on access through the Rafah crossing. "We note that local media have done an extraordinary job reporting on events while themselves being displaced, hungry and at constant risk, but they should not carry this burden alone," reads the letter, printed in the trade magazine Press Gazette on Thursday. "As journalists and editors, who are also Jews, we see Israel's and Egypt's refusal to allow such access as unjustified and unjustifiable, and as an unacceptable restriction on our professional responsibility to inform readers, viewers and listeners accurately and impartially." Since the beginning of the war on Gaza in October 2023, Israel has prevented foreign media access to the enclave with the exception of a small number of heavily controlled and curated trips. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters More than 200 journalists have been killed over the course of the war, which the Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) says has "killed more journalists over the course of a year than in any other conflict CPJ has documented". Rights groups and unions such as the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate have accused the Israeli army of pursuing a systematic policy of targeting journalists and their families. Ignore Starmer's theatrics. Gaza's trail of blood leads straight to his door Read More » Israel has repeatedly justified the exclusion of journalists from the Gaza Strip on the grounds that it is unsafe, a claim that has been dismissed by media outlets. "To suggest that the safety of journalists cannot be guaranteed is not a reason to deny access. International journalists are aware of the risks," read the Press Gazette letter. "These risks are for them to manage as they do all too frequently in conflict zones around the world. That is their job and that is their calling: to report from some of the most troubled places in the hope that humanity will not avert its eyes." On Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry confirmed that at least 16,503 children had been killed by Israeli attacks since the Israeli war on Gaza began on 7 October 2023. Among them were 916 infants under the age of one. In a statement, the ministry said the numbers "do not merely represent innocent lives lost" but reveal a "humanitarian catastrophe" and the "targeting of an entire generation". It called for global action, asking the international community, human rights groups, and aid agencies to "stop the aggression immediately" and hold Israeli occupation leaders accountable for crimes against civilians.
Spectator
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Emily Maitlis doesn't understand grooming gangs
'You are focusing on Pakistani grooming gangs, because, probably, you're racist.' That's what Emily Maitlis ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe when he appeared on the News Agents podcast yesterday. But is she right? In fact, Pakistani men are up to five times as likely to be responsible for child sex grooming offences than the general population, according to figures from the Hydrant Programme, which is part of the police and helps investigate child sex abuse. According to academics from the universities of Reading and Chichester, around one in 73 Muslim men over 16 have been prosecuted for 'group-localised child sexual exploitation' in Rotherham. "Why do you 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 talk about Pakistani grooming gangs? There are 𝙩𝙚𝙣 times as many white grooming gang suspects?"@maitlis asks ex-Reform MP @RupertLowe10 why he won't denounce all perpetrators of grooming gangs equally. — The News Agents (@TheNewsAgents) May 15, 2025 Lowe has been keen to highlight these cases and is crowdfunding an inquiry into the grooming gang scandal.
The Independent
14-05-2025
- The Independent
Prisoner ‘called Emily Maitlis scornful in letters breaching restraining order'
A prisoner addressed letters to former BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis and her parents which breached a restraining order, including claims she had been 'scornful' to him during their friendship at university, a court has heard. Jurors were told that in a letter written to Ms Maitlis, who co-hosts The News Agents podcast, Edward Vines claimed he 'regularly' suffers depression because their friendship ended, and has done for 30 years. Nottingham Crown Court heard that Vines, 54, is charged with three counts of breaching a restraining order and one count of attempting to breach a restraining order, which was put in place at the same court on September 5 2022. The jury heard that the defendant, who is representing himself in the trial, sent envelopes, sometimes containing more than one letter, addressed to the broadcaster and her parents, which were intercepted by prison staff at HMP Lowdham Grange in Nottinghamshire, where he was serving a sentence. Prosecutor Fergus Malone read aloud letters to the court, posted by Vines through the prison mailing system, which included him saying he was 'distraught' about the friendship ending, three months after he told Ms Maitlis he loved her, during their time at university in Cambridge. In a letter dated in July 2023, addressed to Ms Maitlis, the jury was told that Vines wrote: 'I took the audacity of writing to you despite the restraining order because I'm still distraught about what took place between us in 1990. 'I regularly suffer depression over it and have for 30 years. I admit I'm not sure why I suffer so, but suffer I do.' In a letter addressed to her mother in May of that year, Vines had described Ms Maitlis as 'offish and scornful', the court heard. Opening the prosecution's case on Wednesday, Mr Malone told the jury: 'Edward Vines, the defendant, faces four allegations of breaching a restraining order imposed by Nottingham Crown Court on September 5 2022. 'The restraining order prohibited him from contacting Emily Maitlis, Marion Maitlis and Peter Maitlis. Emily Maitlis, you may have heard of, is a well-known broadcaster. 'The Crown's case is that the defendant wrote, addressed and posted letters whilst in prison to all three of those people between May 2023 and February 2024. 'Mr Vines was a serving prisoner at the time. In this case, all the addressed and posted letters were intercepted by prison staff at Her Majesty's Prison Lowdham Grange. 'The likely issue in this case is whether the defendant, Mr Vines, had a reasonable excuse in law to breach the restraining order and that is a matter for him to present to you in due course.' The prosecution also alleges that Vines telephoned his brother in July 2023 and asked him to contact Marion Maitlis. The trial continues.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- BBC News
Prisoner accused of breaching Emily Maitlis restraining order
A prisoner breached a restraining order by writing to television presenter Emily Maitlis from a jail, a court has Vines is on trial at Nottingham Crown Court, accused of breaching an order barring him from contacting the former BBC presenter, imposed by the same court, in said letters sent by Mr Vines, 54, included claims Ms Maitlis had been "scornful" to him during their friendship at were told that in a letter written to Ms Maitlis, who co-hosts The News Agents podcast, the defendant claimed he "regularly" suffers depression because their friendship ended, and has done for 30 years. The court heard Mr Vines is charged with three counts of breaching a restraining order and one count of attempting to breach a restraining order. The jury heard that the defendant sent envelopes addressed to the broadcaster and her parents, which were intercepted by prison staff at HMP Lowdham Grange in Nottinghamshire, where he was serving a Fergus Malone read letters to the court, posted by Mr Vines through the prison mailing system, which included Mr Vines saying he was "distraught" about the friendship ending, three months after he told Ms Maitlis he loved her, during their time at university in jury was told, in a letter dated in July 2023, addressed to Ms Maitlis, Mr Vines wrote: "I took the audacity of writing to you despite the restraining order because I'm still distraught about what took place between us in 1990."I regularly suffer depression over it and have for 30 years. I admit I'm not sure why I suffer so, but suffer I do." In a letter addressed to her mother, Mr Vines had described Ms Maitlis as "offish and scornful", the court the prosecution's case on Wednesday, Mr Malone told the jury: "The restraining order prohibited him [Mr Vines] from contacting Emily Maitlis, Marion Maitlis and Peter Maitlis. Emily Maitlis, you may have heard of, is a well-known broadcaster."The Crown's case is that the defendant wrote, addressed and posted letters whilst in prison to all three of those people between May 2023 and February 2024."Mr Vines was a serving prisoner at the time. "In this case, all the addressed and posted letters were intercepted by prison staff at Her Majesty's Prison Lowdham Grange."The likely issue in this case is whether the defendant, Mr Vines, had a reasonable excuse in law to breach the restraining order and that is a matter for him to present to you in due course."The prosecution also alleges that Mr Vines telephoned his brother in July 2023 and asked him to contact Marion trial continues.
Metro
14-05-2025
- Health
- Metro
Six times fake news made the world a worse place
'The truth is going to help you live longer.' This is what journalist and broadcaster Emily Maitlis said at a recent panel discussion that asked a simple-sounding question: 'Can truth survive?' For Maitlis, ensuring the truth survives during an age of AI-generated images and high-definition deepfakes is about 'prolonging life'. She told the Sir Harry Evans Investigative Journalism Summit on May 6: 'Quite frankly, misinformation kills you.' The former newscaster added: 'If you ignore the truth, if you start believing the lies, if you, dare I say, inject the bleach, that is not going to end up well for you.' Here are six times when fake news made the world a worse place to live. Fake news, known more formally as misinformation or disinformation, are stories that sow fear, uncertainty or doubt. They come in many forms. Sometimes, it's false claims about Tesco giving away a free toy; other times, it's tall tales that lead to shootings. Misinformation and disinformation are thrown around a lot, but they are two different things. Misinformation is fake news created and spread by mistake. Disinformation is deliberate. A third type of fake news is mal-information – these are stories based on facts but stripped of all the context to make them harmful. Only weeks into the coronavirus pandemic, US President Donald Trump had a rather novel idea to curb the spread of this strange new disease. Injecting a disinfectant like bleach or isopropyl alcohol into people's bodies. Trump rambled: 'Is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see, it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs.' The comments were criticised by the medical experts, who stressed that consuming or injecting disinfectant risks poisoning and death. There was a 121% increase in referrals for accidental ingestion of household disinfectants afterwards. Full Fact, a UK fact-checking charity, told Metro that phoney health claims are among the most stubborn forms of misinformation. 'Misinformation about health continues to spread widely across social media, undermining confidence in established medical practices and our public health institutions,' it said. 'In recent years, we have seen the spread increase across newer platforms and unregulated media spaces like podcasts. 'While not illegal, health misinformation like fake cancer cures and false testimonials about dangerous unproven therapies can be immensely harmful and so requires urgent action from government, regulators, and online platforms to spot and stop its spread.' In 2016, Edgar Maddison Welch drove 350 miles from his home in North Carolina to Comet Ping Pong, a pizza restaurant in Washington. The actor, however, wasn't there to grab a slice. He opened the doors and fired three shots from a military-style assault rifle that struck the restaurant's walls, a desk and a door. Maddison said he was there to 'self-investigate' because he believed the pizzeria was harbouring young children as sex slaves as part of a child-abuse ring led by Hillary Clinton. This baseless belief, called PizzaGate, stemmed from social media and far-flung web forums and was amplified by high-profile conspiracy theorists and right-wing blogs. As he later told The New York Times, Maddison sincerely believed Comet was at the centre of a sex ring after reading the bogus claims online. 'The intel on this wasn't 100%,' he admitted. In August, racist rioting flared in more than a dozen towns and cities across England and in Northern Ireland. The spark was anger over the killing of three children at a dance and bracelet-making class for Taylor Swift fans in Southport. Far-right social media users began claiming the killer had an Arabic-sounding name and was a Muslim asylum seeker who had illegally arrived in the country by boat. Just one day after the stabbing, far-right activists tore through a vigil in Southport, attacking a mosque, hurling bricks and setting cars on fire. Libraries, food banks and hotels housing asylum seekers were burned by the rioters who chanted 'enough is enough' and 'stop the boats'. Brain-controlling microchips, DNA-altering nanobots and dangerous metals that can leave people sterile. These are just some of the things that viral social media posts and videos baselessly claimed were inside coronavirus vaccines. The coronavirus pandemic saw conspiracy theories thrive, casting doubt on the existence or seriousness of the disease. The World Health Organization dubbed it an 'infodemic'. Some myths were seemingly well-intentioned, like peddling miracle cures or wishful thinking, the University of Melbourne said. But the pandemic saw disinformation, spread intentionally by people in bad faith, run rampant as people blamed minority groups or 5G towers for the pandemic. This wave of fake news, researchers said, likely killed hundreds of people. Whether they were trying out supposed medical information or believed the virus was a hoax so never sought treatment. There's a simple reason why so many of us are duped into sharing phoney Facebook posts or mistaking a doctored news article as genuine. Zorzeta Bakaki, a senior lecturer in political science at the University of Essex, told Metro: 'Social media platforms inundate users with a constant stream of information, leading to what's termed 'information overload.' 'This overwhelming influx can impair our ability to process and evaluate information effectively.' The associate professor added that repeated exposure to trumped-up stories can make them believable. This is called the 'illusory truth effect'. 'Repeated exposure to the same piece of misinformation can increase its perceived accuracy, a cognitive shortcut our brains use to assess truthfulness,' said Bakaki. 'This effect is particularly potent on social media, where algorithms may repeatedly expose users to the same content.' On January 6, 2021, a mob stormed the Capitol building over the results of the US Presidential Election, where Joe Biden beat Trump. Rioters wearing red, white and blue broke windows, beat police and vandalised offices. Five people died. The violent, anti-democratic attack erupted after Trump published a string of inaccurate and inflammatory posts claiming the vote was fixed. But Trump's claims of election fraud weren't anything new – he had for weeks been urging supporters to go to Washington to stop the certification of the election results. The false claims 'radicalised' hundreds into rioting to such an extent, one researcher told Reuters, that they were living in a 'completely alternative reality'. 'They're not just sitting at home in their pyjamas clicking, 'yes I agree,'' saidClaire Wardle, co-founder of anti-disinformation non-profit First Draft 'They're out there with… guns and pipe bombs.' In 2014, the National Report published an article claiming that a family of five living in Purdon, Texas, had been quarantined. They had tested positive for Ebola, an aggressive, often fatal virus that destroys people's blood vessels. Readers in the comments described how health officials had cut off connection to the town and that the military 'is everywhere', according to internet archives seen by Metro. But the thing is, none of this was true. The National Report is a fake news website, often pushing out cynical political satire. Yet the Purdon story lacked a disclaimer in the body of the text that identified it as satire, duping even a few national broadcasters. Some 337,000 people shared the story on Facebook alone, according to the media database Muck Rack. At the time, parts of Africa were dealing with 30,000 cases of the virus, which had killed 11,000 people. Fact-checkers and local officials had to try to reassure edgy Americans that there was nothing to worry about – the US would see four imported cases and one death during the entire epidemic. While it's safe to say fake news isn't going away anytime soon, Bakaki said that there are a few things people and those in power can do. More Trending She said: 'Combating misinformation requires a multifaceted approach: Media literacy education equips individuals with the skills to critically evaluate information sources, enabling them to discern credible content from falsehoods. 'Prebunking techniques – proactively exposing individuals to weakened forms of misinformation – can build 'mental immunity,' making them more resistant to false information.' Social media titans, she added, must roll out 'read before you share' notifications to ensure people know what they're about to blast to all their followers is, in fact, accurate. Bakaki added: 'Encouraging reflective thinking over impulsive reactions further enhances individuals' ability to assess information credibility effectively.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Donald Trump rolls out his own mobile McDonald's for Saudi Arabia visit MORE: Urgent recall for baby food in the US over fears of lead contamination MORE: Donald Trump plays YMCA on stage while posing for photos with Mohammed bin Salman
