The News Canon - Edition 7

Monday 23rd

January 2023

THE NEWS CANON

Read on to find out:

Love Island – the contestants won’t be getting any texts any time soon! pg. 12

Why you should avoid getting sick on February 6th pg. 11

Greta Thunberg – detained at a coal mine pg. 5

Train strikes, tube strikes, NHS strikes – now teachers are striking pg. 8

The Church of England Bishop has refused to allow same sex marriages – pg. 3

Issue #7

A helicopter has crashed in the suburbs of Kiev –pg. 4 and follow up on pg. 7

Levelling Up, Or At Least Trying To

By Zara A

The UK Government has set out more than 100 projects that will each get a share of £2.1 billion of ‘Levelling Up’ funding. These include a £50 million grant each for the Eden project in Morecambe, train services in Cornwall and a new AI campus in Blackpool as well as developments of town centres such as £19 million for Sunak’s own constituency of Richmond.

Sunak claims these various projects would create more jobs and opportunities and encourage ‘levelling up’- an idea which originally came about during Boris Johnson’s 2019 election campaign which had the aim of reducing regional inequality by improving services such as education and transport.

However, the Labour Party has said that it was merely a “partial refund” on what Conservatives “have stripped out of our communities”. Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Lisa Nandy also said that “communities across the country are still paying a Tory premium for the last 13 years” and goes on to criticise the Tory Party for their arrogance, expecting people to be grateful, saying that “it’s time to end this Hunger games-style contest where communities are pitted against one another

minister pick winners and losers”- these investments have clearly not impressed the Labour

Afghanistan: UN’s Top Women Meet Taliban over Female Aid Worker Ban

By Vanya D

Since the takeover of the Taliban, women in Afghanistan have been barred from universities, secondary schools, and many workplaces. Last week, the Taliban also introduced a ban on female aid workers from all humanitarian organisations, leading to an international outcry. This ban comes at a time when temperatures in mountainous areas are plunging as low as -17°C, electricity is erratic, at best, and the economy is in shambles. Growing numbers of Afghans rely on international aid for food, healthcare, and shelter. Ramiz Alakbaraov, the UN’s humanitarian co-ordinator, emphasised this, stating that “People are freezing, and time is running out. We need to build shelters now but,

in this conservative society, if we don’t have female aid workers to speak to women in the families, we can’t do this work.” In the midst of this crisis, the UN Secretary General responded by sending his deputy, Amina Mohammed (the most senior woman delegate in the UN), to Kabul. She led a team of women, tasked with speaking to senior Taliban leaders about reversing these restrictions. The UN has often been criticised for sending male-only delegations to Kabul which reinforce conservative Taliban views of the world. Hopefully, this delegation is successful in convincing the Taliban to reverse their ban and allow international female aid workers to support Afghanistan through this tough time.

and Whitehall

Party.

Church of England Bishops Refuse to Back Gay Marriage

By Tara E

The Church of England bishops have refused to change their teachings to allow priests to marry same sex couples. Although same-sex marriage has been legal in England and Wales since 2013, when the law changed, the church has decided not to change their rules.

There was a meeting to finalise their decision after around five years of discussions and debate on the Church’s view on same-sex marriages. Several Bishops at the meeting stated that the teachings of Holy Matrimony are only between one man and one woman

In November 2021, the Bishop of Oxford became the most senior Bishop in the Church of England and he decided to publicly revert to the Church’s old teachings that heteronormative marriages are the only ones that should take place in the Church. He had a

group of supporters, but they remained in the minority.

These decisions has outraged many and are likely to spark campaigns for change within the Church. Some have already decided that they will ask the synod – a council of Christians denominations that meet to discuss issues of doctrine - to expunge the Bishop’s proposal. The Church did however confirm that “prayers for God’s blessing” on same-sex couples will be offered following a civil marriage but they will not be allowed to marry in the Church. Those who are in a same-sex marriage or partnership will be welcomed into the church with a service or declinations and acknowledgment of their relationship which is a progressive step and a big change from what the Church’s teachings used to be, but many remain upset with this, as it is not the type of marriage that they want to be accepted for.

Father of Missing Newborn is Registered Sex Offender

By Clementine L

Couple Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have been missing with their newborn-child since 5th January, when their car broke down and caught fire near Bolton, on the M61. They are reported to have fled the scene of the accident with their child, the safety of which remains unknown to the police. The pair come from very different backgrounds Marten is the daughter of wealthy aristocrat Napier Anthony Sturt Marten, and lived a more than comfortable life prior to becoming estranged from her family, whilst Gordon has served over 20 years in the US federal prison system following his conviction of a rape he committed when he was 14. He has been a registered sex offender in the UK since 2010, six years before meeting Marten. Marten, 35, and Gordon, 48, have been living a ‘nomadic lifestyle’ from the time Marten began showing early signs of pregnancy, and it is not thought that either Constance or her newborn child have been assessed by medical professionals.

After the disappearance of his daughter and granddaughter, Napier Marten has ‘begged’ Constance to turn herself in to the police. At the end of an interview with The Independent, he asks his child to “find the courage to present [herself] to the police as soon as possible” for the safety of his grandchild. Despite these calls for contact, Marten and Gordon have managed to evade the police with their use of cash, meaning they are not traceable through credit card records. Ms Marten building up this ‘slush fund’ suggests that their disappearance was planned mutually.

At present, police are focused on discovering the whereabouts of the family to ensure the safety of the child. They have been vaguely traced through reports from taxi drivers and CCTV footage, revealing that their last appearance was on January, near East Ham underground station, meaning that their location could be anywhere across the UK now.

Fourteen Dead in Ukrainian Helicopter Crash

By Sophia P

Warning: this article may contain distressing content for some readers

In Brovary at around 08:30 local time (06:30 GMT), fourteen people, including one child and several figures in Ukraine’s interior ministry were tragically killed in a helicopter crash. Though it may seem probable that Putin’s forces were behind the attack, there has been no evidence that that was the case. President Zelensky believes otherwise, saying that ‘these are all war results absolutely.’ Ukrainian State Security service said it was possible that the helicopter had been sabotaged, or conversely that it was a technical issue.

Travelling at a low height to evade Russian detection, the ministerial team comprising of Mr Monastyrskyy, Yevhen Yenin and Yuriy Lubkovych, were on their way to visit the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office when they crashed near a kindergarten. The crash caused extensive damage to nearby flats and the nursery and produced plenty of black smoke as well. A local resident stated that the pilot had tried to

land in a relatively flat area as to avoid crashing into a tall block of flats, which would probably have resulted in more casualties.

Parents were dropping their children off when the helicopter crashed, and one local volunteer Lidiya recounted that ‘parents were running, screaming. There was panic.’ Many volunteers and emergency services were helping to evacuate children from the burning nursery. President Zelensky has addressed world leaders to observe a minute silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the crash.

Interior ministry adviser, Anton Herashchenko, said ‘we will always remember you. Your families will be cared for.’

Biden expressed his condolences, saying that ‘we grieve with all those who are mourning this heartbreaking tragedy’.

Met Police Officer Found Dead after Child Abuse

By Samhita S

Allegations

Warning: this article may contain distressing content for some readers

Senior Met Police Officer, Chief Inspector Richard Watkinson, serving with the West Area command unit at the time, was found dead at his home in Buckinghamshire on Thursday 12th of January.

At the time, the officer was suspended from duty and being investigated for allegedly distributing indecent images of children, voyeurism, and misconduct in public office.

According to a Met Police spokeswoman, “A serving officer (Watkinson) was arrested on 9th July 2021 by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and the matter passed back to be investigated by specialist officers from the Met…The officer was further arrested on 20th July 2022 on suspicion of offences (listed above)”. However, he was then bailed pending

further inquiries, and that’s how he was suspended from duty.

The body was found by Met officers in his home in Buckinghamshire following welfare concerns, the same day he was due to be charged. The Thames Valley Police are dealing with this matter, although the death has not been ruled as suspicious.

As of January 2023, 800 Met Police officers are under investigation for possible misconduct, including allegations of sexual and domestic violence, and more than 230 officers face sexual assault allegations. This raises concerns about the culture of the Met and the thoroughness of its vetting process – for a system meant to protect us, it seems that too many officers are doing the exact opposite.

Greta Thunberg Detained at German Coal Protest

By Selin A

Greta Thunberg has been one of the most important people in the world of climate activism since the age of fifteen. On one fateful day, Thunberg decided to skip school in order to protest outside the Swedish parliament for more action against climate change. This movement attracted the attention of social media, and the rest was history.

Thunberg, now aged twenty, has done a lot for the climate change movement over the years, her most renowned act being founding the movement ‘Fridays for Future’, better known as ‘School Strikes for Climate.’ This was an international movement led by young people where children skip school on Fridays in order to protest for climate change. So, not only did they get to miss double science on a Friday afternoon, but they also contribute in a movement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It was a win-win.

However, recently everyone’s attention has been focussed on the detaining of Thunberg at a German coal protest on 17th January. Along with other activists, she was protesting against the village of Lutzerath being demolished in

order to expand a coal mine. Thunberg was detained after some of these activists allegedly ‘rushed towards the ledge’ of the Garzeweiler 2 mine (BBC), although police claimed that the Swedish activist was released immediately after a quick ID check. ‘Climate protection is not a crime’(CNN), Thunberg tweeted a day after the event, after photos of her smiling while being carried by police officers were released, her chill approach to the situation made iconic by Instagram observers.

On a serious note, what these activists were protesting for played a very important role in climate change, as it was stated that the area surrounding Lutzerath yields approximately 25 million tonnes of Lignite, the dirtiest form of coal each year (BBC). If the coal mine expanded, that number could rise significantly, and I’m not completely sure that planet Earth would react positively to that. Although the German government argues that the expansion was necessary to manage German energy demand due to the Russian gas supply disruption, which is fair and true, the death of our planet may take slight priority over that.

Iran Protests: 15 Minutes vs the Death Penalty

By Girisha D

Warning: this article may contain distressing content for some readers

With Iran heavily restricting media accessibility for the citizens, it is very difficult to gain information of what is going on, but recently, a large amount of information has been gathered regarding execution processes and conditions inside the prisons of Iran.

Mohammad Mehdi Karami was a 22- year- old karate champion, was hanged on the 7th January, after sixty-five days of being detained. The young man was initially arrested on the grounds of being associated with the murder of a member of parliamentary Basij force during protests in Karaj. However, he was later charged with “corruption on Earth” and went on trial on 30th November.

Karami wasn’t allowed to choose his own layer, and so was appointed one from a list approved by the judiciary. This lawyer decided it was best to not fight against the charges, but to plead guilty and ask for forgiveness. However, Karami had under 15 minutes to defend himself against the death penalty.

A heart-breaking account from Mohammed’s father recounts how Karami asked his father not to tell his mother about being charged with the death penalty, concerned about the effect it would have on her. During a meeting with his family, Karami confided how he had been beaten unconscious and dumped in a remote area, under the presumption he was dead. He also told his family how he had been touched inappropriately and threatened with rape, something many people who have been wrongfully imprisoned have been reporting.

Karami’s family tried many things, one of them being putting themselves at risk by sharing Karami’s story, spreading awareness, and publicising his situation. They also hired one of the most prolific human rights lawyers in Iran,

who appealed to the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, all attempts were unsuccessful, and Mohammad Medhi Karami was hanged on 7th January.

Another tragic story is that of Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, a 39-year-old children’s coach who was hanged on the same day. Hosseini was an orphan, so there was no familyled campaign for his innocence, but the surge of online support he received and his ability to get independent legal representation was looking hopeful.

In December, Hosseini’s lawyer visited him in prison, and Hosseini, having suffered during his time in jail, confided in his lawyer about how he had been tortured, beaten till he was unconscious and had suffered much more. His lawyer decided to tweet about it, hoping to spread awareness, but this was a mistake on his end. On the 7th January, whilst his lawyer was on the way to collect appeal papers from the Supreme Court, Hosseini was hanged, and his lawyer was later detained, due to his abuse allegations.

However, these stories that we read about in the news involve real people, that are being forced to confess for crimes they haven’t even committed, then prosecuted and charged with the death penalty based on these “confessions.” Every day, more protestors are arrested for unjust reasons and people continue to be executed.

Fatal Helicopter Crash in Ukraine Acknowledged by President Zelensky

By Mahi S

On Wednesday 18th of January 2023, at 08:30 local time (06:30 GMT) a fatal helicopter crash in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, resulted in the death of 14 people.

Following the fatal helicopter crash, President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the incident on the Davos WEF (World Economic Forum). The Ukrainian president has been quoted acknowledging that there ‘are no accidents at war time’, and although the Ukrainian government has not claimed Russian involvement, President Zelensky has brought attention to the fact that the incident seems to be a by-product of the War.

Although the event seemed to be no more than an accident, the SBU state security services have identified a couple reasons such as sabotage, technical malfunction or breach of flight rules which could have caused this crash. All that was recognisable of the helicopter was the door and rotor, the rest destroyed in the midst of the accident.

The crash killed 14 people, among them Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, Tetiana Shutiak, first deputy minister Yevhen Yenin and state secretary Yuriy Lubkovych The crash has significantly affected the Ukrainian people, as the helicopter landed near a kindergarten and caused significant damage to surrounding residential areas. Many bystanders blame the Russian War for the accident, saying that due to the War the city has been running with no electricity and trapped in a fog and consequently the helicopter’s vision had been compromised. The helicopter crashed near a kindergarten, scaring parents dropping their children off on a normal Wednesday. One local

resident described helping getting children out of the way of the flying debris, and one girl he picked up, Polina, aged 6, was not recognised by her own father as her face was covered in blood.

Furthermore, Denys Monastyrsky, interior affairs minister of Ukraine, was a representative of the Ukrainian people, and has been one of the most significant deaths since the beginning of the War. His death also significantly impacts Ukraine’s ability to fight of Russian troops, as his job as interior affairs minister included organising the police force and plays a vital role on the Ukrainian governmental structure. Soon following the interior minister’s death, Ihor Klymenko has been appointed acting interior minister, in an attempt to prevent the death of their leader affect the internal workings of the government and Ukraines ability to fight the War.

The crash has been a deeply affected Ukraine, and it has only been 5 days since a Russian missile attack, killing 45 citizens, 6 of which were children. The accident was described by President Zelensky as a ‘’ pain [that is] unspeakable.’’ Ukraine will have been severely affected by this incident, losing a loved public figure, many government officials, and many citizens.

By Ellie B

Teachers’ Strikes Hit the UK

The UK’s central education institution, the National Education Union (NEU), has announced seven days’ worth of strikes to hit the UK across February and March 2023, with each individual school potentially being affected for up to four days. However, the government has urged schools to stay open if feasible. Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, warned of a ‘workforce crisis’ to come in schools due to teachers losing nearly a quarter of their pay since 2010. She and Kevin Courtney – the other joint general secretary of the NEU – have stated that ‘the average 5% pay raise for teachers this year is some 7% behind inflation. Amid a cost-of-living crisis, that is an unsustainable situation’.

Many state schoolteachers in England and Wales received a 5% raise in 2022, and teachers in Northern Ireland were offered a 3.2% raise for the past two school years. However, this inflation means that increases in pay are simply pay cuts in the long term. Counteroffers such as 5% and 6.85% for those paid least in Scotland were dismissed as ‘insulting’, the BBC states.

Starting salaries are expected to rise for teachers in England to £30,000 a year by this September with state schoolteachers being paid an average

of £38,982 last school year, contrasting with £39,009 in Wales and £40,026 in Scotland. Education authorities in Northern Ireland have declined to submit a figure.

All schools in England and Wales will be affected during the striking time period, as teaching members of the NEU in England and Wales have voted to correct ‘historic real term pay cuts’ according to the union. The first day of national strike on the 1st of February is predicted to affect 23,400 schools throughout England and Wales. Teaching staff in sixth form colleges in England have previously balloted and taken strike action in the latest months but will continue to act on the specific allocated striking days throughout the upcoming months: the 1st, 14th and 28th of February, as well as the 1st, 2nd, 15th and 16th of March.

Across Scotland, national and local strikes have caused almost all primary and secondary schools to close and will continue for another 16 days, as the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) commented on the 16th of January. In Northern Ireland, meeting attendance and administrative tasks are impacted as teachers from five unions join in with the strikes.

Nine Northern Ireland Police Officers Dismissed for Sexual and Domestic Misconduct

By Shreya

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) revealed last week that nine officers had been fired in 2022 for gross misconduct. they confirmed that are ongoing, and thirty suspended on suspicion of sexual misconduct.

The Northern Ireland Police said that there were ten misconduct hearings regarding sexual and domestic abuse; as a result, nine officers were dismissed. Five more hearings are scheduled in the next few months. The PSNI is also reviewing their handling of misconduct investigations over the last

Superintendent Claire McGuigan stated, "The purpose [of the review] is to identify any missed opportunities or areas for improvement." She added, "Just as we will pursue perpetrators of violence against women and girls in our communities, we are committed to rooting out those that may be in our ranks."

Following the murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021, all UK police forces have been told to update their vetting processes for their staff. Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton of the PSNI stated at a board meeting in 2021, "All prospective student officers and all staff who enter the police service are subject to vetting before they join." He also stated, "we cannot afford any degree of complacency or business as usual."

Just a few months ago, the Northern Ireland police attempted to make reforms and take measures to improve the situation within the PSNI. In September 2022, it was stated that all Northern Irish police officers would receive specialist training in managing domestic abuse cases. They also stated that they would improve the quality of investigation files for incidents involving violence against women and girls. However, Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK without a specific strategy for sex

education and teaching young people about consent and violence against women.

In November 2021, a civilian employee in the PSNI, Sinead McGrotty, revealed to the press how her allegations against Detective Constable Ronan Sharkie were 'not taken seriously' by the PSNI. McGrotty was subjected to inappropriate touching and comments over several years from Sharkie, which continued while she was pregnant. She had made 11 allegations against Sharkie, only one of which was passed to the disciplinary panel. She first reported him in 2012; the court case was finally settled in 2017, where the detective only received a fine of £250. Sharkie was still a serving police officer in the PSNI in 2021.

The PSNI was urged, by the Policing Board, to 'make better use of its powers to dismiss officers' and for disciplinary action to be taken more quickly. As the PSNI continues to investigate and act against misconduct within its ranks, it is crucial that they also address the systemic issues that allowed this misconduct to occur in the first place. Only by taking a comprehensive and holistic approach can the PSNI truly root out misconduct and restore the public's trust in their ability to serve and pro

By Jia

Train Strikes Are Escalating

Rail strikes have cost rail organisations £25 million per day on weekdays and £15 million on the weekends, with them costing the UK over £1 billion already. Mr Huw Merriman (MP) suggested that the UK would have saved more money if the striking workers’ pay disputes were “just settled”.

The government largely funds the UK railway system, but it hasn’t met the workers’ increasing demands for higher wages due to the cost-ofliving crisis. In result of this, our nation has been affected by many train strikes. There has been an approximate 10% rise in the cost of living, heavily caused by inflation in the UK, the impact of COVID-19, and post-Brexit trade. So, rail workers in unions want new salary offers to mirror the 10% rise in the cost of living.

The average salary for five types of rail workers is £45,919. In 2022, The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) proposed an offer of a 4% rise in 2022,

and a 4% rise in 2023. After the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (Aslef) rejected it, Network Rail made a different offer of a 5% rise in 2022 instead and a 4% rise in 2023. However, Aslef rejected both offers because the union considered the deal to be inadequate. If Aslef had accepted the Rail Delivery Group’s offer, train drivers’ average salaries would have increased from £60,000 to £65,000 per year by the end of 2023.

We can only predict train strikes soon. Aslef has confirmed train strikes on February 1st and February 3rd.

Alongside this, Transpennine Express has been experiencing problems of escalating sickness rates and lack of driver training, so there have been many train cancellations for months. Despite their effort “to work flat-out to deliver higher levels of service delivery”, Mr Merriman is going to reconsider the Transpennine Express contract when it ends in May.

FEBRUARY 6TH, DON’T FALL SICK

By Leila

On the 6th February, ambulance staff and nurses will take strike action in what will be the biggest NHS walkout in history, and the first time that ambulance staff and the RCN will strike on the same day.

In England and Wales, members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will be striking on the 6th and 7th February following the refusal of the UK and Welsh governments to negotiate on the current year’s NHS pay deal. The RCN’s General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen stated that nurses are striking “in a desperate bid to get ministers to rescue the NHS.” He goes on to state that “patient care is suffering like never before” and that the only solution is to “address the tens of thousands of unfilled jobs.”

Rachel Harrison, the GMB National Secretary has said “Our message to the government is clear – talk pay now.” In addition to this strike, more than 10,000 GMB ambulance workers will be staging national strikes on the 20th February and the 6th and 20th March.

But what do these strikes mean for patient care?

At University College Hospital in London there

are typically around twenty or more operations carried out each day in a specialist surgical centre. However, during the strikes these operating theatres are desolate. Routine care is

likely to be badly affected during the strikes and the fact that the strikes (for nurses only) will occur over two consecutive days means they will have an even greater impact.

The RCN states that during their strikes they will “maintain life-preserving services through derogations” which means emergency care will not be affected. In terms of ambulance staff, unions have agreed to respond to all category one calls, which involve the most lifethreatening conditions such as cardiac arrest. However, Dr Adrian Boyle (president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine) has encouraged people to drive suspected stroke victims to hospital, as strokes and chest pain are classified as category two incidents.

Both ambulance staff and nurses are striking for better pay and for the government to rescue the NHS. Currently, governments in England and Wales have given NHS staff an average pay rise of 4.75%, with a guaranteed minimum of £1,400. Though this is less than half the rate of inflation, the government has made clear that it is not willing to make moves on this year’s pay award. Rishi Sunak said his government wants “constructive dialogue” with trade unions but that they must ensure “conversations are based on what’s reasonable.”

Love Island: I’ve Got No More Texts!

By Kishana K

The UK’s most popular dating show, Love Island, is back for its ninth series however there’s a major twist in the rules this season. Contestants appearing on Love Island from now on, cannot have friends nor family running their social media accounts. ITV have requested all contestants’ social media accounts to remain dormant. But why? Due to Love Island’s massive supporting, it often dominates all social platform when it airs, and a lot of negativity from the public is presented to the contestants. ITV is hoping to change the negativity contestants receive while on the show and are also offering eight sessions of counselling after the show.

ITV hopes that they will relieve the stress from friends and family managing the contestants’ accounts. For example, Faye Winter, who was a contestant on the 2020 summer series of Love Island made the final with Teddy Soares. Although Faye had a huge following on social media before the show, her times on the show created headlines and evoked huge backlash. One infamous argument with Teddy on the show prompted 25000 Ofcom complaints which Faye later apologised to. Faye’s’ sister Jo was in charge of her account while she was on the show, and decided to block words which she believed would create a ‘snowball effect’. She believes the new social media rule is a “positive move”.

However, some believe the social media rule is a negative move. Brett Staniland- an islander on

CELEBRITY + CHOCOLATE NEWS:

the 2020 series- is concerned about this. He believes the ‘(rule change) is potentially a bad thing because it can create a backlog of hate and abuse… in time for them getting their phone back.’ A friend of a former contestant, Victoria Sanusi says she saw some distressing messages when she was running her friend’s account. Victoria says she saw ‘really vile’ messages, with some followers telling the contestant ‘not to be here anymore’.

Despite the opinions on the rule change, ITV are firm on this rule going forward. Only time will tell whether this was a good choice or not.

Kylie Jenner’s son is no longer named ‘Wolf’. On Saturday the 21st January, Kylie announced that her baby’s new name was Aire Webster, having previously stated ‘FYI our sons name isn't Wolf anymore, w e just really didn't feel like it was him. Just wanted to share because I keep seeing Wolf everywhere."

M&M have created an all-female set of characters on their packets for the first time ever There are three female character, purple, brown and green, who are all upside down in order to “celebrate women everywhere who are flipping the status quo ”

Teacher Interviews

What do you think about Prince Harry’s memoir?

Interviews by Daksha

Mr Dave reports that he has not given much thought to Harry's memoir. While the book does publicly defame the royal family, including Harry's father and brother, he states that it is reasonably justified as "everyone should be allowed to write about their own opinions of anyone".

When asked whether he thinks that Megan has had a positive or negative impact on Britain's general view of the monarchy, he feels that it has been negative, as she has "shed light on the way the monarchy functions and their relationship with the media". The conversation concluded with him admitting that he doesn't care much about the royal family, as well as him (jokingly) admitting to being a potential believer in anarchy (????)

The Team:

Editor and layout editor: Zarah

Deputy editor: Ai Yi

Sub editors: Alana, Amber, Antara, Aryn Dakshka, Dara, Fran, Imani, Karina, Mahi, Sania, Sophia M, Sophia P

Journalists: Clementina, Samhita, Shreya, Jiya, Ellie, Mahi, Vanya, Selin, Kishana, Sophia P, Girisha, Leila, Tara & Zara A

As a politics teacher Ms Brock tries her hardest to remain politically neutral in her students' eyes. Therefore, she did not want to share her opinions on the Duke of Sussex's memoir Spare, but when asked whether she thinks that the members of the royal family - mainly Charles, Camilla and William - will sue for defamation, she answered that 'theoretically they could', as what Harry has done does classify as defamation. However, she says, per the family's motto - "never complain, never explain", 'the royal family will never sue for defamation', as they are 'not willing to have a public court battle on whether they hate each other'. She concludes by saying that Harry will likely not be sued by the Royal Family, as their response to the memoir has not been to ignore it and hope it will disappear as soon as possible

Read last week’s edition to learn more about ‘Spare’ – Prince Harry’s book