Scots NHS doctor raises more than £100k to rescue family from war-torn Palestine

Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI).The campaign has called for the boycott amidst the ongoing developments in the Israel-Palestine conflict, which recently saw Israel carry out an airstrike operation in Rafah. The airstrike was estimated to have killed at least 37 people between May 27-28, according to The Associated Press.They also reported the attack caused several tents to catch fire, killing more residents in Rafah, which is home to thousands of displaced Palestinians from all over the Gaza Strip.Now, music organisations, labels and promoters such as Dark Entries, Techno Queers, Dweller, Noise Not Music, Night Slugs, 8-ball community, Gold Bolus Recordings, NYC Noise, FIST and many more have committed themselves to the boycott.PACBI is an offshoot of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS), which was behind the huge wave of drop-outs from The Great Escape and Latitude Festival this year.

Sitting in his Rochdale town centre office, George Galloway has spent much of the morning dealing with 'real complications' that have been developing with his party's campaign in Blackburn. Four weeks out from the general election, he is busy preparing a list of candidates to stand in seats across the country.

Ellise Shafer Lana Del Rey has weighed in on what makes her friend and collaborator Taylor Swift so successful. When asked by the BBC why the “Fortnight” singer is so popular, Del Rey said the answer is simple: “She wants it.” “She’s told me so many times that she wants it more than anyone,” Del Rey said. “And how amazing — she’s getting exactly what she wants.” Added Del Rey of Swift, “She’s driven, and I think it’s really paid off.” The two duetted on the track “Snow on the Beach” from Swift’s 2022 album “Midnights.” In May 2023, Swift released a “Til Dawn” deluxe edition of the album, with a version of “Snow on the Beach” featuring “More Lana Del Rey.” Both singers share a longtime producer in Jack Antonoff, who Del Rey has worked with on her last three albums and has been a mainstay of Swift’s music since 2014’s “1989.” Swift continues her mega successful Eras Tour this weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland, marking the first U.K.

Fontaines D.C. have won over $2,000 (£1,565) on a viral music quiz on TikTok – and donated the sum to a Palestine relief charity.The Dublin band recently participated in Track Star – a Public Opinion series in which players have to listen to a song and correctly guess the artist on the streets of New York City.

More than 100 Jewish industry figures have signed an open letter to the BBC Director General and content chief expressing “disbelief” in the decision to engage a cricket world cup commentator who has been accused of fanning antisemitism on social media.

Welcome to ElectionLine’s A View From Abroad series, in which we speak with media figures who are not from America but keep a close eye on its politics. Every few weeks, these smart observers will provide a unique perspective on the fraught and unpredictable campaign for the White House. This week, our interview is with Nadia Bilbassy-Charters, the Washington D.C. bureau chief for Al Arabiya, the state-owned Saudi Arabian Arabic news network.

Latitude festival over its sponsorship with Barclays and the bank’s ties to Israel.Zyu shared a statement on her official Instagram account explaining her decision to boycott the Suffolk Music Festival. “The festival is sponsored by Barclays who are continuing to profit from the genocide in Palestine,” began her statement.She continued: “Barclays are on the BDS Movement’s boycott list.

Gigi and Bella Hadid are showing their support for Palestinian families amid the unrest in the Middle East.

Massive Attack‘s Robert Del Naja has posted a video reading a letter from a doctor describing a “catastrophe” for newborn babies in Rafah – watch it below.As part of the Voices for Gaza initiative, Dej Naja has joined Brian Eno, members of Fontaines D.C., R.E.M, Bastille and more in reading out letters from Palestinians in Gaza.The letter is from a gynaecologist who worked in a hospital in Rafah, returning from Gaza on March 25. The city is currently sheltering nearly 1.4million displaced residents across the Gaza Strip, and was targeted in a series of Israeli airstrikes that has reportedly killed at least 45 people, spawning the popular hashtag #AllEyesOnRafah.Del Naja reads: “I’ve been in humanitarian medicine for over 25 years, and this is the first time I’ve seen people bombed and unable to flee.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Palestinian-Canadian rapper Belly has surprise-dropped a new album titled “96 Miles From Bethlehem,” which is described as being about “the gift, curse, and fate of being Palestinian” but is clearly inspired by the war in Gaza. The 40-year-old artist, whose real name is Ahmad Balshe, was born in the Palestinian city of Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank — which is located 96 miles from Bethlehem, as the album’s title says — but relocated to Canada with his family when he was 7.

Jon Stewart has waded into a row about the UK Labour Party blocking election candidate Faiza Shaheen from running for Parliament over her historical tweets relating to Israel.

Paramore have made a call for donations to support aid to Gaza today (May 29) via their Instagram Stories.It comes as Israel has intensified its military operations in Rafah over the last few days. A report from The Associated Press explained that Israel’s recent shelling and airstrike attacks killed at least 37 people between Monday and Tuesday this week (May 27-28).

Black Country, New Road have announced a London benefit concert in support of Palestine – you can find all the details below.The band are due to play a headline show at the EartH Theatre in Hackney on Thursday June 13. They’ll be joined by the special guest support acts Camera Picture, Aga Ujma and Skydaddy.All proceeds will go to Medical Aid For Palestinians and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.Tickets are available now in return for a minimum £15 donation (per ticket).

Paul Weller has expressed his support for Palestine amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza war.The soloist and former Jam frontman’s recent live shows have seen him perform onstage with a Palestinian flag draped on his guitar amp.When asked about this during a new interview with The Guardian, Weller responded: “Am I against genocides and ethnic cleansing? Yes, I am, funnily enough.”He continued: “I can’t understand why more people aren’t up in arms about what’s going on. We should be ashamed of ourselves, I think.

The Scottish Government will replace Winter Fuel Payments with a new devolved lump sum later this year. Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP) is set to be provided on a like-for-like basis to its Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) counterpart and paid to everyone over the State Pension age every year.

Melissa Barrera is speaking out.

Jerry Seinfeld has been heckled by pro-Palestine supporters during a stand-up show in Virginia.The comedian was performing on Saturday (May 18) at the Chrysler Hall in Norfolk when an audience member stood up and shouted: “Save the children of Gaza” and accused him of being a “genocide supporter”, according to footage posted on social media and obtained by TMZ.The protestor was subsequently booed by other audience members, before being confronted by another attendee and put in a headlock.Amid the scuffle, Seinfeld can be heard saying from the stage: “This is exciting. I like this,” and, “I like a little Jew hate to spice up the show.”Protestors disrupt #Seinfeld in #Norfolk tonight.

Lizzo has spoken out and shared her support for Palestine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and college protesters.The musician took to Instagram yesterday (May 13) to show her support in a video addressing the various conflicts taking place.“I just want to take a second and give a personal thank you to all of the activists who have been working tirelessly to help the liberation and the freedom of the people who have been genocided all over the world, specifically Palestine, Sudan and the Congo,” she said.“As someone who has worked closely with activists, I know the toll it can take on your mental and your physical and it can feel thankless so if you have not heard it today, thank you. Your work is not in vain.

Great Escape Festival in solidarity with Palestine, with Massive Attack also speaking out in support of the boycott.The 2024 edition of the event – which showcases new and rising artists – is due to take place across various music venues in Brighton from tomorrow (May 15) until Saturday (18).The Great Escape is sponsored by Barclays, which has been a source of controversy amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza because of the bank’s financial investment in companies that supply arms to Israel.The issue was first highlighted in a petition started by the promoter How To Catch A Pig and the band The Menstrual Cramps – which has since been signed by musicians including Kneecap, Lambrini Girls, Alfie Templeman, Lip Critic, Wunderhorse and Mary In The Junkyard.Last month, Cherym pulled out of The Great Escape as a result of the festival’s connection to Barclays, before record labels Alcopop and Big Scary Monsters joined the boycott and withdrew from the event.Dozens more acts soon followed suit, with over half the line-up demanding that The Great Escape drop its sponsorship deal with Barclays.Speaking about their decision not to play the festival, Lambrini Girls said: “We will not be appearing at The Great Escape festival this year. This is a targeted approach of a cultural boycott, considering Barclays sponsorship.“Barclays provide financial services of over £1BN pounds to companies supplying military technology and weapons to the IDF, perpetuating the horrors unfolding in Gaza.”Now, 106 artists have cancelled their scheduled appearances at The Great Escape 2024 in total – constituting approximately a quarter of the full programme.

Brian Eno, as well as members of Fontaines D.C., R.E.M, Bastille and more have read out letters from Palestinians suffering in Gaza as part of a ‘Voices For Gaza’ initiative.The clips have been shared on the Instagram page for Voices For Gaza, and sees famous faces from across the entertainment industry read letters from those in Palestine aloud, recalling the graphic details of the war.It aims to help raise funds for the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians and bring awareness to the ongoing crisis happening in the country.At time of writing, the conflict has led to the deaths of over 34,600 Palestinians. The attacks by Hamas on October 7 last year killed over 1,200 people.Among those who have taken part in the charity initiative is Brian Eno, who reads out a letter from a civilian in Gaza, written in February 2024.