DES ABEND NEWS

Andrew Tate believes rape victims are to blame, women are the sole property of men, and only dates women aged 18-19 to make an imprint on them. Yet this influencer has received millions of views and likes online, reaching fame for talking about hitting women, stopping them from going out, and choking any ‘dumb hoe.’ Credit: Essentially Sports. By: Derry Salter. Former reality-TV star-turned- influencer Andrew Tate was banned from Facebook and Instagram last weekend after the ‘King of Toxic Masculinity’ drew concerns over his attitudes towards women.  Interestingly, Tate’s close friends list boasts the likes of Brexiteer Nigel Farage, anti-Islam activist and former EDL leader Tommy Robinson and even former US President Donald Trump. The former kickboxer has millions of followers across his social media, but was recently banned from most of these sites for his worrying stance on women.   His money-making program for his followers, Hustler’s University, was quickly shut down. Day...

Gaming giants Sony PlayStation are being sued £5 billion for ‘ripping off customers’ with game prices and in-game purchases. Photo: barkingdrum.com. By: Sam Feierabend.   The legal action, led by consumer rights champion Alex Neill, could see millions of everyday gamers owed money should the lawsuit be accepted by courts. The case claims that Sony PlayStation’s actions have driven up prices for consumers, resulting in customers being overcharged for digital gaming purchases over the past six years. This would be a complete abuse of the company’s position as market leader to impose terms and conditions on games’ developers and publishers, including a 30% commission on evert digital purchase on the PlayStation Store. The estimated damages per individual in the claim is said to be between £67 and £562. This applies to any customer who has purchased digital games or add-on content on their console since August 2016. As many as nine million claimants could benefit from this lawsuit. M...

The world’s second largest cinema chain, Cineworld, has announced that it is considering filing for bankruptcy in the US. Photo: dcm.com. By: Sam Feierabend. The move comes after the company accumulated up to $4 billion in debts over the coronavirus pandemic. They have assured cinemagoers and staff that, for the meantime, cinemas will be operating as normal and staff will still be employed while attempts are made to balance the books. They employ 45,000 people globally, including 5,000 in the UK. The chain has struggled with not experiencing a quick enough recovery since lockdown easings, this being coupled with a failed takeover of Canadian chain Cineplex leaves $1 billion owed to the company. Their debts may also be attributed to the decline in the cinema industry on the whole. People are being priced out of watching movies at the cinema, with companies such as Odeon charging upwards of £12 for a single adult ticket. In comparison, streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ a...

A Leeds University student and mother of two has been jailed for 34 years in Saudi Arabia over her critical tweets of the Saudi Regime. Credit: Leeds Live.   By: Derry Salter. Salma al-Shehab was arrested last year whilst holidaying in Saudi Arabia. Before her trip, she used social media to call for reforms in the country as well as the release of numerous activists. Human rights groups have said this harsh sentencing sheds light on Saudi Arabia’s claim that the country is improving women’s rights; some claim this is proof that the country is contradicting its promises.    A terrorism tribunal in the country convicted the PhD student of aiding dissidents and seeking to ‘disrupt public order’ by publishing ‘false rumours.’ This is the longest prison sentence ever handed out in the country for a peaceful activist.   In January 2021, Shehab tweeted and retweeted numerous messages calling for reforms in the Gulf state as well as the release of prominent activ...

  On 8 August, former US President Donald Trump’s Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, was searched by the FBI after the US Department of Justice suspected Trump of breaking the Espionage Act. Credit: Steve Helber. By: Derry Salter. The search warrant details how the FBI gathered evidence on 8 August to investigate whether Trump took government records from the White House to his home whilst in power; this improper handling is a serious offence with all US Presidents having to abide by the law of transferring all documents and emails to the National Archives.   Earlier this year, the National Archives claimed they retrieved 15 boxes of documents from Mar-a-Lago, which the former President should have handed over. These documents included classified information, which saw the National Archives take action and call for the justice department to undertake an investigation.   The search a fortnight ago recovered twenty boxes of material and the FBI took 11 sets of classified f...

The Royal Air Force (RAF) have come under fire for recent developments that have claimed the force are ‘effectively pausing’ offering jobs to white males in an attempt to meet diversity targets. This would allegedly see more women and ethnic minorities employed to the force. Credit: easterneye. By: Sam Feierabend. As a result of the allegations, the RAF Head of Recruitment, who is a woman herself, has resigned from her post. This came amid concerns that any such restrictions on hiring, no matter how temporary or limited, could undermine the fighting strength of the RAF. They said the service was attempting to hit ‘impossible’ diversity targets. Sources within the defence department have accused Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, Head  of the RAF, of compromising UK security in pursuit of goals such as improving diversity and inclusion. At a time when international tensions are at a volatile state, watertight security is key. An RAF spokesperson has disputed the allegations, sa...

Ukraine has been the focal point of the world’s attention for six months since being invaded by Russia. Whilst the conflict is still ongoing, President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that on 23 August, the country’s Day of the National Flag, domestic football will restart in Ukraine. Credit: Getty Images. By: Sam Feierabend.  This may seem an odd step to take, considering the country is still crippled by fighting and conflict, yet this has subsided since initial attacks. Russian advancements have stalled and Ukraine are in the process of launching counter-attacks in the southern region of the country in an attempt to regain territory lost in initial stages of fighting. The return of football to the country has been described as ‘a big step’ by head of the Ukrainian FA, Andriy Pavleko, and ‘a sign to the world that Ukraine can and will win’. The Ukrainian Premier League was officially halted in April this year and subsequently suspended. Many teams have been forced to reloc...

A new docuseries Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons , which aired on Hulu on July 14, looks into the misconduct of the fashion brand, delving into horror stories of sex, power, and money. Credit: The New Yorker. By: Derry Salter. The multibillion-dollar lingerie company first became a phenomenon in the 80s and has carried on its reign for nearly four decades. It’s known for its glitz, glamour, and gorgeous models. Behind the beauty lies harassment allegations, bullying and undesirable connections as well as misogyny, transphobia and body shaming. Controversies first came apparent in 2019, when some models began rebelling against the brand on social media and it has only been downhill from there. Most interestingly the docuseries sheds light on Lex Wexner, former billionaire CEO who stepped down last year, and his close ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Wexner enabled Epstein’s access to both wealth and women, by giving him power over his finances and private life, e...

  The BBC have come under fire after the decision to quietly axe the reading of classified football results on Saturday evening on their Radio 5 Live service, BBC Sports Report. The weekly tradition had been in place since the early 1950s and had quickly become a staple in football fans’ routines after matches with results read out throughout the football pyramid. Credit: The Mirror. By: Sam Feierabend. This decision has been scrutinised for various reasons. The first at a footballing level, where fans of clubs across the system could hear their teams in the same breath as some of the biggest names in world football. Each team was given the same status and same amount of air time, albeit just for a split second. Some have suggested that the BBC are prioritising the Premier League over lower leagues as they have cited the reason for the axe is to give more live coverage to the weekly 5:30pm Premier League fixture. Those criticising the decision include legendary former commentator J...

* This article deals with topics of suicide and self-harm which may be triggering to some readers* Research undertaken recently by the BBC has found that at least 20 patients aged 18 or under have died in NHS or privately-run mental health care units. This numbers only increases when patients are discharged, jumping up to a further 26 deaths within a year of leaving units due to a lack of ongoing support . Credit: The New York Times By: Derry Salter. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are the main focus of the recent research, as their units look after over 4,000 young patients each year. The aim of these units are to help patients with a variety of different diagnoses to recover through specialist care; some patients are in units for weeks, others are years.   The inquest reflects on previous data, which saw nine deaths in CAMHS wards between 2010 and 2014.   Patients have criticised the lack of proper support in units as well, with claims that nurses a...

Following disruption last month due to strikes from railway workers, a further round of strikes will take place next week (19   August) causing more chaos in the height of the summer holidays.   Credit: The Express . By: Sam Feierabend. Members of the RMT Union will take part in a 24 hour walkout with up to 10,000 London Underground workers expected to be involved. Tube workers are striking over disputes about their pensions, prompted by Transport for London’s (TFL) refusal to share details of a draft government proposal for funding the transport system. The funding deal has been drafted in response to Covid-19 leaving an economic black hole in the transport industry – the union are demanding that assurances are made about jobs, no detrimental changes to pension or changes in working conditions. The Underground strikes sit in between a further two days of National Rail strikes which are expected to cause even more disruption to a summer of travel turmoil; holidaymakers and f...

Earlier last week, NFL player DeShaun Watson was given a mere six-game ban after multiple accusations of sexual misconduct. This isn't the first and won't be the last time sportsmen get off scot free when it comes to sexual assault. Credit: The New York Times. By: Derry Salter. The Cleveland Browns quarterback has been accused by 24 women in Texas; despite this shockingly high number of accusers, the NFL’s personal conduct policy saw it fit to only charge him with a six-game ban. Watson allegedly assaulted numerous massage therapists during treatment sessions across 2020 and 2021 and has since settled 23 of the 24 lawsuits. A Texas court decided not to pursue criminal charges against the quarterback, but the NFL undertook an inquiry into whether Watson violated the sport’s personal conduct policy. Watson continues to claim innocence.   The NFL already wish to appeal the decision, with hopes that Watson would be suspended for just a year. However, the National Football Leagu...

After 56 years, English football fans can finally rejoice and celebrate a national team winning a major international tournament. England women have exceeded expectations and, by beating Germany 2-1 to win Euro 2022, have done what the men could not to bring glory back to millions.    Credit: cbsnews.com By: Sam Feierabend. The irony of this historic victory is that when England last lifted a major trophy, women were outlawed from playing football. It was not until 1971 that The Football Association (FA) finally lifted the fifty year ban on women’s football, sparking a revival in the sport that has led to the popularity of it seen today. Last Sunday’s final will undoubtedly be seen as a landmark moment not just for women’s football, but English football in general. The success of the Lionesses has ended the famed ‘56 years of hurt’ coined by the song Three Lions; many people proclaiming how football has finally come home. 87,900 people were in attendance at Wembley for the f...

  A fter over two decades campaigning, as of 28 July in a law-changing move, broadcasters are finally allowed to film inside Crown Court sentence hearings in England and Wales. Credit: Gov.uk. By: Derry Salter. Sentencing hearings are not new to journalists, however, they are most frequently misunderstood due to the simplification of details in daily news reports. This is a momentous turn for crime journalism as members of the public will now get a deeper understanding into the reasoning behind sentences. Journalists across England and Wales have celebrated the change to the law, hoping that it will increase transparency and justice. The new rule allows BBC News, ITN, Sky News and PA Media to film in courts under a similar system to their current set-up at the Court of Appeal. This footage will then be broadcast both on TV and online, allowing other news outlets to access their footage. Sky News are hosting a YouTube channel dedicated solely to the hearings. Journalists must ga...

  The ongoing cost of living crisis in the UK has plunged millions into financial obscurity. For some however, the most recent development will hit hardest; McDonald’s are putting up the prices of their cheeseburgers. Credit - inkl.com By: Sam Feierabend. The global fast-food chain sent out a statement with the harrowing news that, for the first time in 14 years, the price of the famous 99p cheeseburger will increase to £1.19 – a 20% increase. Their CEO has stated that, despite the restaurant’s commitment to providing food for good value, nothing can escape the increasing pressures on price that the world is facing. It is worth noting that not all prices are changing, and the increases vary from restaurant to restaurant – only the items most affected by inflation will see change. This comes after multiple companies have increased prices over the past few months. Unilever, the company who own brands such as Marmite and Ben and Jerry’s, announced price hikes of up to 11.2% while ...

The wildfires of the recent days and weeks are a stark warning sign of the desperation our world is in. Parts of the UK suffered greatly and received their first ever red warning for extreme heat, with fires quickly breaking out on July 19. Credit: Al Jazeera. By: Derry Salter.   Wildfires are a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and account for 8% of the 3.3 annual premature deaths from poor air quality. Climate change is the cause for this; it increases temperatures and worsens dry conditions in which fires thrive; they spread faster and burn longer. These hot spells sap moisture from grasslands and vegetation, making the conditions even drier.   With months of below average rainfall and an unusually high temperature, wildfires sparked across the UK, hitting Cornwall, Kent and Pembrokeshire. Britain’s hottest day in history also gave the London Fire Brigade its busiest day since World War Two.  More than 40 houses and shops across the UK were destroye...