It is my great pleasure to welcome back to Medya News, Ferhan Sterk, the director of the 13th London Kurdish Film Festival which is heralding a very welcome and triumphant return to the physical big screens of London, after two years of online editions of this legendary and popular festival.

No matter how we enjoy watching our films online or on film streaming services I think everyone can agree that there it is no substitute to watching a film on the big screen, and especially at a film festival. The atmosphere, sounds, smells and interaction with people is incomparable. And this is especially true when it comes to the Kurdish Film Festival that has managed to survive the challenges of the last few years with the Covid pandemic and is back again after two years of online editions of the festival as a result of Covid restrictions.

Listen our Daily Review: Russian Foreign Minister condemns Turkey’s intentions to once again invade North and East Syria, in Sweden a refugee threatened with deportation goes on hunger strike, in Tel Rifaat Turkish drones kill three civilians and injure six.

Listen our Daily Review: 121 NGOs call on UN intervention to halt Turkey's incursion into Syria, Turkish Defence Minister says Turkish operation into North and East Syria has already begun, mining in Euphrates basin threatens ecosystems, plus more.

Listen our Daily Review: Hunger strikes protest ill-treatment of prisoners in Turkey, Demirtaş says HDP is inclusive alternative to ruling AKP, a new play, ‘The Cell Without Night’ is based on Abdullah Öcalan, a “chain of negligence” causes traffic fatalities in Turkey.

On Friday, Turkey’s President Erdogan stated that Turkey does not desire the defeat of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, but wants a political solution for the region.
On Saturday 35 people were killed and 57 injured in two separate traffic accidents in Turkey’s south-eastern areas. Also, the United Nations expressed their concern surrounding the rise of Turkish attacks and civilian casualties in North and East Syria.

A new play, ‘The Cell Without Night’, explores the experiences and political thought of Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the Kurdish liberation movement imprisoned since 1999 by the Turkish government. During his long detention, Öcalan has been held in conditions amounting to torture and condemned by international rights organisations and monitors. At the same time, he has developed a unique political philosophy based on principles of direct democracy, women’s autonomy, devolution and social ecology, known as ‘democratic confederalism.’

Carne Ross, ex UK diplomat speaks to Mark Campbell about his journey from seasoned diplomat to anarchist and comments on the diplomatic complexities surrounding Turkey's attacks on NE Syria.

Listen our Daily Review: detained journalist writes from prison, HDP spokesperson criticises AKP appointed trustees, former French FM warns of new Turkish operation, Progressive International speaks with Medya News, plus more.

A Turkish airstrike targeted military locations near the town of Kobane in North and East Syria, resulting in several causalities, political prisoner HDP member Mukaddes Kubilay is denied parole, Kurdish art is featured by academic Shilad Fuad Hussain, plus more.

Much like the Kurdish liberation movement, the organisation Progressive International (PI) believes in and advocates for an internationalist approach to tackling global issues of social justice and liberation. PI was founded in December 2018 to unite international progressive political parties and movements, following a call by the Democracy in Europe Movement and the Bernie Sanders Institute. Its stated aim is to “unite, organise, and mobilise progressive forces behind a shared vision of a world transformed.”