The Weird Story of the Climate Hoaxers Who Planted Fake 'Top Secret' Government Documents Around London | | Ash Sarkar: On Saturday 20 May 2023, I was handed documents marked 'TOP SECRET – UK EYES ONLY'. This is the story of what happened next. It started with a flurry of cryptic DMs. Izzy, an art student based in London, messaged me on Instagram indicating that she had a story that might interest me. "I've got a hot potato" she wrote, adding "it's a bit of business." After some prompting, she sent a disappearing video. The screen was black, and Izzy's low voice thrummed with urgency. She and a friend had found a document marked 'TOP SECRET – UK EYES ONLY". It was a letter, apparently addressed to prime minister Rishi Sunak, signed by national security advisor Sir Tim Barrow. I arranged a face-to-face with Izzy and her friend that very same day. As I boarded the tube, it played on my mind that I was en route to a wild goose chase. | | | FEATURE French Climate Activists Are Waging War Against Water Hoarders by Olly Haynes In the face of drought across France, activist coalition Earth Uprising is escalating its tactics in the fight over water. Now, the state has ordered its dissolution under counter-terrorism legislation. Olly Haynes reports. Read more... | | ANALYSIS The Public Supports Palestine. Why Don't Our Politicians? by Ell Folan The polls are unequivocal: nobody likes Israel, not even Tories, writes Ell Folan. So why are our politicians so absolutely committed to keeping their fingers in their ears? Read more... | | Thanks to our supporters, we're able to investigate stories like this, and ensure everything we publish can be accessed for free. We've got no advertising partnerships, no sponsored content. There's no personal profit here. We can't afford to sleep on the issue of climate breakdown any longer. And there's a reason the mainstream media's coverage of the climate crisis is laissez-faire at best, and actively deceptive at its worst: it seeks to delay and deflect any serious discussion of the matter. It does this not by accident: it's a feature. It's because their rightwing, billionaire owners want to protect their profits, not the planet. But we are people-powered. If you can, donate one hour's wage per month or whatever you can afford to fund people-powered media. | | | |