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Anger As London Statue of Iconic Jewish Singer Amy Winehouse is Vandalized With Palestinian Symbol
The vandalized statue of singer Amy Winehouse at Camden Market in London. Photo: Screenshot
The authorities at one of London’s most popular open-air markets have confirmed that a sticker of a Palestinian flag placed over the Star of David necklace on a statue commemorating iconic singer Amy Winehouse has been removed.
The offending symbol was placed on the statue over the weekend, following the arrest of twelve people during pro-Hamas protests in central London. The statue of Winehouse is located in north London’s Camden Market, a popular destination for tourists and locals alike.
Winehouse, whose 2006 classic release “Back in Black” was one of the best-selling albums in UK history, was born into a Jewish family in London and regularly wore her Star of David necklace. She died tragically in 2011 after a long battle with substance abuse.
The first image of the defaced statue was published on X/Twitter by Etan Smallman, a London-based reporter.
“London 2024. Where a Star of David can’t be displayed (even on a statue of a dead singer) without being covered with a Palestinian flag,” he commented alongside.
When one respondent answered that “Amy would be happy with the Palestinian flag too,” Smallman retorted: “Do you make a habit of channelling the spirit of dead musicians? Or just Jewish ones?”
Other respondents described the vandalism as “gross” and “disgraceful,” with one person asking, “how low can people go?”
In a statement, the UK-based Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) argued that the vandalism was an accurate reflection of the adversarial atmosphere faced by British Jews since the Oct. 7 Hamas pogrom in Israel.
“So much for the “this is just criticism of Israel” excuse we hear so often from antisemites who are too cowardly or ignorant to admit what they are,” the CAA said in a statement.
“Right now, 69 percent of British Jews say that they are less likely to show visible signs of their Judaism. When even a statue of a Jewish person can’t get away with it, is that any surprise?” it asked.
The post Anger As London Statue of Iconic Jewish Singer Amy Winehouse is Vandalized With Palestinian Symbol first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Trump Is Lying When He Speaks of Peace
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with government officials in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2025. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Donald Trump on Saturday of lying when the US president said during his Gulf tour this week that he wanted peace in the region.
On the contrary, said Khamenei, the United States uses its power to give “10-ton bombs to the Zionist (Israeli) regime to drop on the heads of Gaza’s children.”
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after departing the United Arab Emirates on Friday that Iran had to move quickly on a US proposal for its nuclear program or “something bad’s going to happen.”
His remarks, said Khamenei, “aren’t even worth responding to.” They are an “embarrassment to the speaker and the American people,” Khamenei added.
“Undoubtedly, the source of corruption, war, and conflict in this region is the Zionist regime — a dangerous, deadly cancerous tumor that must be uprooted; it will be uprooted,” he said at an event at a religious center in Tehran, according to state media.
Earlier on Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Trump speaks about peace while simultaneously making threats.
“Which should we believe?” Pezeshkian said at a naval event in Tehran. “On the one hand, he speaks of peace and on the other, he threatens with the most advanced tools of mass killing.”
Tehran would continue Iran-US nuclear talks but is not afraid of threats. “We are not seeking war,” Pezeshkian said.
While Trump said on Friday that Iran had a US proposal about its nuclear program, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in a post on X said Tehran had not received any such proposal. “There is no scenario in which Iran abandons its hard-earned right to (uranium) enrichment for peaceful purposes…” he said.
Araqchi warned on Saturday that Washington’s constant change of stance prolongs nuclear talks, state TV reported.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that America repeatedly defines a new framework for negotiations that prolongs the process,” the broadcast quoted Araqchi as saying.
Pezeshkian said Iran would not “back down from our legitimate rights”.
“Because we refuse to bow to bullying, they say we are source of instability in the region,” he said.
A fourth round of Iran-U.S. talks ended in Oman last Sunday. A new round has not been scheduled yet.
The post Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Trump Is Lying When He Speaks of Peace first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hamas Confirms New Gaza Ceasefire Talks with Israel in Qatar on Saturday
Doha, Qatar. Photo: StellarD via Wikimedia Commons.
A new round of Gaza ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel is underway in Qatar’s Doha, Hamas official Taher al-Nono told Reuters on Saturday.
He said the two sides were discussing all issues without “pre-conditions.”
Nono said Hamas was “keen to exert all the effort needed” to help mediators make the negotiations a success, adding there was “no certain offer on the table.”
The negotiations come despite Israel preparing to expand operations in the Gaza Strip as they seek “operational control” in some areas of the war-torn enclave.
The return to negotiations also comes after US President Donald Trump ended a Middle East tour on Friday with no apparent progress towards a new ceasefire, although he acknowledged Gaza’s growing hunger crisis and the need for aid deliveries.
The post Hamas Confirms New Gaza Ceasefire Talks with Israel in Qatar on Saturday first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Report: ICC’s Khan Goes on Administrative Leave Amid Sexual Misconduct Probe
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan speaks during an interview with Reuters in The Hague, Netherlands, Feb. 12, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
i24 News – Chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan has stepped down temporarily as an investigation into his alleged sexual misconduct by United Nations investigators is nearing its final phase, Reuters reported on Friday citing sources from the international court.
Khan allegedly forced sexual intercourse upon a member of staff on multiple occasions, the Wall Street Journal reported last week, linking the allegations to Khan’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-defense minister Yoav Gallant.
A statement is expected later today announcing that Khan is going on administrative leave, according to a source in the prosecutor’s office.
The post Report: ICC’s Khan Goes on Administrative Leave Amid Sexual Misconduct Probe first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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