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Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Sara Awad is an English literature student, writer, and storyteller based in Gaza. Passionate about capturing human experiences and social issues, Sara uses her words to shed light on stories often unheard. Her work explores themes of resilience, identity, and hope amid war circumstances. I contributed to The Intercept, Truthout, PRISM, The Electronic Intifada, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, and We Are Not Numbers. She joins us from Gaza City to share her story, discuss the most recent events including the "double tap" bombing of Nasser Hospital and her hopes for the future. An absolute must listen. Support our friend Hana Salah's family:https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-my-injured-father-and-younger-siblings-survive-in-gaza

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Journalist and now author, Tommy Greene, rejoins us to talk about the plucky coalmine that is using the investor courts (remember CETA folks?) to sue the British Govt for messing with their profits. Read more here:https://www.desmog.com/2025/08/11/uk-government-to-be-sued-in-secret-corporate-court-by-coal-firm-represented-by-tory-mp/ We also go deep into the green slime that is Lough Neagh, the worsening environmental disaster, the political panto in lieu of action and what, if anything, is likely to happen next. No eels were injured in the making of this podcast. Book Preorder:https://www.irishacademicpress.ie/product/troubled-waters/ Recommended Coal Long read:https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/features/2024/12/15/the-bitter-final-showdown-over-british-coal-as-sun-sets-on-dirtiest-fuel Support our friend Hana Salah's family:https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-my-injured-father-and-younger-siblings-survive-in-gaza

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Nadera Mushtaha is a poet and writer from Gaza and a former student of Dr Refaat Alareer. She talks of losing her family home in Shujayia, her friend Malak Arafat, whose murder she discovered 7 months later because of the rolling internet blackouts in Gaza. In the background, we hear Israeli drones and tank shells as Israel continues to attack the Zaytoun and Sabra neighborhoods threatening another wave of mass expulsion. Tune in for more. Editors Note, I have cleaned the audio up so we can hear Nadera, but I also have the audio with the shells and explosions. Let me know if you want a release with the reality as well. Tadhg Hickey on Displaced in Gaza is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-136539838 Support our friend Hana Salah's family:https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-my-injured-father-and-younger-siblings-survive-in-gaza

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack We've just seen Keir Starmer's government threatening Irish writer, Sally Rooney and many western governments have decided to take more action against people protesting against the genocide in Gaza than against the Israeli regime that is committing it. You'll also have seen hundreds of people arrested on the streets of London for peacefully protesting while holding signs saying 'I Support Palestine Action.' This is absolute madness. Joining me on the podcast is another brave Irish woman who was one of the people who arrested at the recent protest, Sinéad Nic Shiacais. She is a longtime activist, environmentalist and all round goodie. She tells her story here. Thank you, Sinéad. For the news that wasn't newsy enough podcast click:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-136760557 Support Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-two-134250846

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack It was a great pleasure to be joined by Shahd Alnaami, who is a 21-year-old writer, poet, and translator from Gaza, Palestine. In this PalCast episode, she speaks of losing her sister Rahaf, 13, and her friend Eman 19. She tells us how two houses belonging to her family were also destroyed and how her family was displaced multiple times. She speaks of the children of Gaza and their big dreams now consist of simply having a piece of bread, while still trying to cling to their childhood. Tune in for her story. Yousef on grief:https://afsc.org/news/grief-and-being-only-survivor-your-family-gaza The Christy Moore podcast is here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-135485064 Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-two-134250846