Latest news with #Gaza:HowtoSurviveaWarZone
Spectator
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Portrait of the week: Inflation up, hosepipes off and grants for electric cars
Home Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, agreed with President Emmanuel Macron of France that Britain could return perhaps 50 asylum seekers a week to France and accept in their place the same number of applicants through a regulated system. To celebrate, 573 people arrived that day in England in small boats, bringing the total for the week ending 14 July to 1,387. Moygashel Bonfire Committee in Co. Tyrone defended the placing of an effigy of a small boat with 12 migrants on a bonfire to usher in 12 July. Britain had, it was revealed, offered asylum to thousands of Afghan soldiers and their families caught by the accidental publication of their application for asylum in 2022; their resettlement was kept secret by a government super-injunction. Unite, whose members pay affiliation fees of £1.2 million to Labour, suspended Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, from membership over the dustmen's strike in Birmingham, though she had already resigned. President Donald Trump of America will make a state visit from 17 to 19 September, while parliament is in recess. Ofcom allowed Royal Mail in future to deliver second-class post only every other weekday. A BBC review of the documentary Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone criticised the BBC for failing to disclose that the narrator was the son of a Hamas official. Seventy-one arrests were made at protests against Palestine Action being proscribed as a terror group. Lord Blair of Boughton, Ian Blair, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police 2005-2008, died aged 72. The two men who cut down the Sycamore Gap tree were jailed for 51 months each. Production began in Hertfordshire of a television series of the seven Harry Potter books, expected to take ten years to complete. GDP shrank in May by 0.1 per cent, the second month in a row it had contracted. Inflation rose from 3.4 to 3.6 per cent. Sir Keir refused to rule out extending the freeze on tax thresholds but stood by Labour's manifesto promise not to increase income tax, national insurance or VAT. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, outlined the 'Leeds Reforms' first in Yorkshire and then in her Mansion House speech; these are meant to cut regulation and promote growth. The government is to offer grants of up to £3,750 to buy an electric car and will spend £25 million to build little trenches across pavements for households without driveways to charge cars. Resident (junior) doctors belonging to the British Medical Association union will strike for five days from 25 July. A child with measles died in Liverpool, where one in four are not vaccinated. Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool became the first British winners of the men's doubles at Wimbledon for 89 years. The Notting Hill Carnival will go ahead after councils provided an extra £1 million for it. Thames Water announced an annual loss of £1.6 billion. It imposed a hosepipe ban, as did Southern Water, bringing to 8.5 million the number of people under such bans. Burst water mains caused flooding in Clapham and Bermondsey. Abroad Ukraine again suffered heavy aerial attacks from Russia. President Donald Trump said he would send weapons, including Patriot air defence systems, via Nato, with European nations paying for them. He said that President Vladimir Putin of Russia 'talks nice but then he bombs everybody in the evening'. He met Mark Rutte, the Nato Secretary General, in Washington. In talks with Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, Kim Jong-un, the North Korean ruler, offered 'unconditional support' in the war. Mr Trump announced he would impose a 30 per cent tariff on goods from the EU and Mexico. The Italian owner of Ferrero Rocher negotiated to buy Kellogg's. A resident of Coconino County, Arizona, died of plague. The preliminary report by India's Air Accident Investigation Bureau into the Air India crash on 12 June that killed 260 people said both fuel control switches were moved to the cutoff position after takeoff; in the cockpit voice recording, a pilot is heard asking the other why he 'did the cutoff', and he responded that he did not do so. President Paul Biya of Cameroon, 92, said he would stand again for office in October. Houthis sank the Greek-operated Eternity C cargo ship, carrying 25 crew, in the Red Sea; at least four of the crew were killed and many of the survivors kidnapped. Dozens died in fighting between Sunni Bedouin and Druze militias in southern Syria. Israel bombed Syrian forces closing in on the Druze. CSH
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
15-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
What is the controversy over BBC's Gaza documentary?
The BBC is facing backlash after it aired — then removed — a Gaza documentary narrated by a 13-year-old boy whose father is a Hamas official. The broadcaster admitted a serious editorial lapse in not disclosing this connection. Now, amid political pressure, the controversy has many questioning the BBC's impartiality read more People sit outside the BBC Broadcasting House offices and recording studios in London, UK, January 17, 2022. File Image/Reuters The BBC is facing controversy surrounding one of its recent documentaries on Gaza, after it emerged that the child narrator of the programme is the son of a senior Hamas official. The public broadcaster has been accused of breaching its own editorial standards on accuracy. The film in question, titled Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, focused on the experiences of children living through the ongoing war in Gaza. Narrated by a 13-year-old Palestinian boy named Abdullah, the documentary was produced by the independent company Hoyo Films and initially broadcast on BBC platforms in February. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, the programme was taken down just five days later after it was discovered that the narrator's father, Ayman Alyazouri, holds the position of Deputy Minister of Agriculture in Gaza's Hamas-run government — a fact not disclosed to BBC editorial teams before the broadcast. Internal BBC review reveals serious editorial failings The BBC's Director of Editorial Complaints and Reviews, Peter Johnston, led a comprehensive internal investigation into how the programme was commissioned, reviewed, and aired. The inquiry, which examined 5,000 documents and more than 150 hours of footage from the film's 10-month production period, concluded that the documentary violated the corporation's accuracy guidelines by failing to disclose relevant information that could materially affect audience perception. Johnston's report stated that the background of the narrator's father constituted 'critical information' that should have been disclosed prior to transmission. 'Regardless of how the significance or otherwise of the Narrator's father's position was judged, the audience should have been informed about this,' the report stated. The review made clear that although the BBC's guidelines on impartiality were not breached, the failure to accurately represent the narrator's background amounted to misleading the public. It also noted that there was no indication that the boy's father or family had influenced the film's content in any way. BBC Director-General Tim Davie acknowledged the gravity of the findings, saying the investigation had 'identified a significant failing in relation to accuracy.' BBC Director-General Tim Davie is pictured at BBC World Service offices in London, UK, April 28, 2022. File Image/Reuters In response, Davie pledged that the BBC would now act 'on two fronts — fair, clear and appropriate actions to ensure proper accountability and the immediate implementation of steps to prevent such errors being repeated.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD BBC News CEO Deborah Turness also admitted fault, stating on BBC Radio 4's The World at One that 'we are owning where we have made mistakes, finding out what went wrong, acting on the findings, and we've said we're sorry.' Hoyo Films accepts partial responsibility, apologises Hoyo Films, the independent production house behind the documentary, also came under the spotlight for failing to inform the BBC of the narrator's family background. According to the BBC's findings, three members of the Hoyo Films team were aware of the narrator's father's government role during production, but this information was not passed on to BBC editorial staff. While the internal review did not find that the production company had acted with intent to deceive, it placed the bulk of the responsibility for the breach on Hoyo Films, stating that the BBC also shared some accountability for insufficient oversight and inadequate follow-up on editorial queries before airing the film. In a statement following the release of the review, Hoyo Films said it accepted the conclusions of the report and 'apologises for the mistake that resulted in a breach of the editorial guidelines.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The company also welcomed the opportunity to explore the re-editing of the documentary for future use, potentially in shorter formats for the BBC's iPlayer archive. The report also revealed that Abdullah had received a payment of £795 for his participation, paid via his adult sister. He was also given a second-hand mobile phone and a gift card for a computer game. Altogether, the compensation amounted to £1,817. A financial audit found the sum to be within a reasonable range for such work. Ofcom opens separate investigation into BBC conduct In light of the BBC's findings, the UK's media regulator Ofcom confirmed that it would launch its own inquiry under its rule that prohibits factual programmes from 'materially misleading the audience.' An Ofcom spokesperson stated, 'Having examined the BBC's findings, we are launching an investigation under our rule which states that factual programmes must not materially mislead the audience.' Dame Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive of Ofcom, later told British newspaper Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that the BBC had been 'slow to get a grip' on recent issues, including this documentary and other editorial controversies. 'It's very frustrating that the BBC has had some own goals in this area,' she said, warning that continued missteps could lead to a 'loss of confidence' in the broadcaster's independence and integrity. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Calls for reform in the UK 'My job is to make sure that we uphold the highest standards and that the public and parliament can have confidence in the BBC,' UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told reporters. She noted that while the BBC had taken some steps to rebuild public trust, 'there have been a series of catastrophic failures over recent weeks.' In response to the scandal, the BBC outlined several corrective measures, as reported by BBC: A new leadership role will be established for news documentaries and current affairs, providing strategic oversight of long-form output across the news division. Fresh editorial guidance will mandate enhanced scrutiny of narrators, especially in content involving contested or sensitive geopolitical issues. A new 'first gate' commissioning system will ensure that all compliance and editorial considerations are documented and addressed before production approval. Artists & journalists rally behind and against the BBC A collective of more than 500 high-profile figures — including actor Riz Ahmed, filmmakers Ken Loach and Mike Leigh, and broadcaster Gary Lineker — signed a public letter in February defending the original documentary. Organised by Artists for Palestine UK, the letter warned that 'a political campaign to discredit the programme' risked further silencing Palestinian voices in Western media. Conversely, the Campaign Against Antisemitism condemned the BBC's handling of the situation, calling the review's recommendations 'frankly insulting.' The group argued that the report lacked new insight and claimed it appeared designed 'to exonerate the BBC.' Former BBC content chief Danny Cohen and JK Rowling's agent Neil Blair were among more than 40 Jewish television executives who had earlier written to the broadcaster, raising serious questions about its editorial processes and standards. Meanwhile, internal dissent is also growing. Over 100 BBC journalists recently criticised the decision not to air another Gaza-focused documentary, Gaza: Medics Under Fire, which was eventually broadcast by Channel 4. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a letter to senior leadership, the journalists accused the corporation of failing to report 'without fear or favour when it comes to Israel,' and claimed the editorial judgment appeared driven by 'fear of being perceived as critical of the Israeli government.' The BBC also faced backlash in June for broadcasting a performance at Glastonbury by rap punk duo Bob Vylan, during which they led the crowd in chants of 'death' to the Israeli military — prompting further criticism of the BBC's editorial oversight. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a coordinated attack on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli officials. In response, Israel began a large-scale military offensive in Gaza. As of now, Gaza's Health Ministry reports that more than 58,000 people have been killed, with more than half of the fatalities being women and children. The ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians, though the United Nations and other international bodies rely on its casualty figures as the most reliable source available. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Watch: With inputs from agencies
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC Gaza documentary breached guidelines, review finds
A BBC documentary about Gaza breached editorial guidelines on accuracy by failing to disclose the narrator was the son of a Hamas official, the corporation's review has found. BBC director general Tim Davie commissioned the review into Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, after it was pulled from iPlayer in February when the boy's family connections emerged. The review found that the independent production company, Hoyo Films, bears most of the responsibility for the failure. However, it said the BBC also bears some responsibility. The BBC said the programme should not have been signed off, and it was taking appropriate action on accountability. The BBC said it was taking a number of steps to prevent a similar breach being repeated: The corporation will create a new leadership role in news documentaries and current affairs. The new director role on the BBC News board, which will be advertised in the next week, will have strategic leadership of its long form output across the news division. New editorial guidance will be issued that careful consideration must be given to the use of narrators in the area of contested current affairs programmes, and that the narrator will be subject to a higher level of scrutiny A new "first gate" process will be introduced, meaning "no high-risk long form programmes can be formally commissioned until all potential compliance considerations are considered and listed" The corporation did not name any individuals facing disciplinary action. Hoyo Films said it took the reviews findings "extremely seriously" and said it "apologises for the mistake that resulted in a breach of the editorial guidelines". The company said it was pleased the report had found there was "no evidence of inappropriate influence on the content of the documentary from any third party". It said it welcomed the report's recommendations and "hope they will improve processes and prevent similar problems in the future". Hoyo Films said it would work closely with the BBC to explore the possibility of using some material for re-edited and re-versioned shorter films for archive on iPlayer. The BBC's director general Tim Davie apologised, saying the report "identifies a significant failing in relation to accuracy". "We will now take action on two fronts," he continued. "Fair, clear and appropriate actions to ensure proper accountability and the immediate implementation of steps to prevent such errors being repeated." The review found three members of the independent production company knew of the father's position as deputy minister of agriculture in the Hamas-run government in Gaza, but no-one within the BBC knew this at the time. However, the report criticised the BBC team for not being "sufficiently proactive" with initial editorial checks, and for a "lack of critical oversight" of unanswered or partially answered questions. The review said it had seen no evidence "to support the suggestion that the narrator's father or family influenced the content of the programme in any way". It added the narrator's scripted contribution to the programme did not constitute a breach of due impartiality. However, the report concluded that the use of the child narrator for this programme was "not appropriate". A financial examination found that a fee of £795 was was paid for the narrator, paid to his adult sister, an amount which was not "outside the range of what might be reasonable in the context". The review was conducted by Peter Johnston, the BBC's director of editorial complaints and reviews. The BBC Board said: "Nothing is more important than trust and transparency in our journalism. We welcome the actions the Executive are taking to avoid this failing being repeated in the future." Nandy asks why nobody has been fired at BBC over Gaza film BBC criticised by 500 media figures for pulling Gaza documentary
Belfast Telegraph
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
History will harshly judge every leader who trades with Israel while refusing to acknowledge a genocide as clear as day
Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, the film the BBC refused to air, is an hour of televised horrors that will never leave me. Shown on Channel 4 last week, this film was initially commissioned by the state broadcaster, only to be dropped when another documentary — Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone — was attacked over alleged impartiality concerns by the pro-Israeli lobby.
Metro
03-07-2025
- Health
- Metro
Top Gaza doctor killed in IDF strike as Channel 4 airs Gaza doctor documentary
As Channel 4 aired the 'Gaza: Doctors Under Attack' documentary that the BBC refused to broadcast last night, an Israeli airstrike killed one of the Strip's most senior doctors. Dr Marwan al-Sultan, a renowned cardiologist and director of Gaza's Indonesian Hospital, was killed in his apartment in Gaza City on the same day the film, presented by investigative reporter Ramita Navai, was shown. Dr Al-Sultan is the 70th healthcare worker to be killed by Israeli attacks in the last 50 days, according to the Palestinian medical organisation Healthcare Workers Watch. A relative of Dr al-Sultan's said several of his family members, including his wife, his daughters and his son-in-law, died alongside him. His death has been described as a 'catastrophic' loss to the besieged enclave's already decimated healthcare system. Dr Mohammed Abu Selmia, director of Gaza's al-Shifa hospital, said: 'We are in great shock and grief. He cannot be replaced.' The Israeli military said it had struck a 'key terrorist' from Hamas. They said they are 'reviewing' reports that 'uninvolved civilians' were harmed in the attack. 'Gaza: Doctors Under Attack' was first commissioned by the BBC, but was dropped after a previous documentary – 'Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone' – sparked an impartiality row. The documentary, which has been described as an 'unceasing timeline of horrors', was picked up by Channel 4 and Zeteo late in the day. The Guardian and other outlets have given it five stars. Since Israel launched its war on Gaza following the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on Israel, in which at least 1,195 Israelis and 79 foreign nationals were killed, doctors in the enclave have been treating patients without access to proper sanitation, medication, electricity or water. The Indonesian Hospital, which is the largest medical facility north of Gaza City, has been a critical lifeline since the start of the war. It was forced to close in January due to repeated Israeli bombardment. When accused of targeting hospitals and medical facilities, the IDF said they 'regret any harm to uninvolved individuals' and 'operate to mitigate harm to them as much as possible'. Under Article 18 of the Geneva Convention, civilian hospitals, ambulances and field hospitals 'may in no circumstances be the object of attack'. International law and the Geneva Convention also prohibit the deliberate harm of medical staff who are not engaged in combat. In April, the IDF fired on marked ambulances and a fire truck with emergency lights flashing. They later said their soldiers did not randomly attack any ambulances, insisting they fired on 'terrorists' approaching them in 'suspicious vehicles'. The only hospital fully operating in Gaza is Nasser Hospital, in the south of the Strip. The rest are either destroyed or operating at minimal capacity due to damage and the death of their staff. The Channel 4 documentary includes footage of doctors being detained. They claim they were tortured by the IDF, but the IDF has denied this. Medglobal, a medical NGO based in the US, says it believes more than 300 healthcare workers are in Israeli prisons. Since yesterday morning, Israeli attacks have killed 40 people across the Gaza Strip, according to the health ministry, with four children and seven women among the dead. Today, Amnesty International has said the controversial Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is being used to distribute aid in Gaza, is using starvation tactics against Palestinians to commit genocide. They condemned Israel and the GHF, which has taken over aid distribution in Gaza in place of a network led by the United Nations. In response, Israel's foreign ministry claimed that Amnesty – a British organisation – 'joined forces with Hamas' to 'adopt propaganda lies'. Photos and videos, along with official reports from Palestinian officials and witnesses, have shown Israeli forces opening fire at crowds of people near the sites. More Trending Agnes Callamard, Amnesty's secretary general, said: 'This devastating daily loss of life as desperate Palestinians try to collect aid is the consequence of their deliberate targeting by Israeli forces and the foreseeable consequence of irresponsible and lethal methods of distribution.' The IDF claims it has fired warning shots to control crowds and only fires at people it says are acting suspiciously. The Foreign Ministry and COGAT, the Israeli defence body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza, said Israel has facilitated the entry of more than 3,000 aid trucks into the Gaza Strip since May 19. Israel has rejected genocide allegations against it as an antisemitic 'blood libel'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: BBC Breakfast star warned by friend she was becoming too 'fame-obsessed' MORE: BBC takes action after admitting Bob Vylan was deemed 'high risk' before Glastonbury MORE: Musk says 'credit is due' to Trump despite president's threat to deport him
