After being evaluated for lower leg swelling and hand bruising, the White House announced that US President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).
The president’s leg pain, according to press secretary Karoline Leavitt, was only mild for a few weeks after receiving the diagnosis.
Dr. Dr. Sean Barbabella, the president’s physician, confirmed there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease in a letter that was made available for public viewing. Trump’s lab results were all within acceptable standards.
The letter further stated that a cardiac echocardiogram was performed and that it had established normal cardiac function and structure.
What is chronic venous insufficiency and what are its risks? What we are aware of is:
Chronic venous insufficiency: what is it?
According to Cleveland Clinic, CVI is a type of vein disorder that arises when legs’ veins become damaged. Blood moves more heart-tightly through veins through valves. Blood can flow backwards when these valves are damaged because they don’t close properly. Venous reflux is what is known as.
Lower legs may become pooling with blood as a result. Along with swelling, which typically occurs around the feet and ankles, symptoms include aching legs, a tingling or heavy sensation, and the appearance of varicose veins.
About one in three adults are affected by the disease, according to the Cleveland Clinic, while over-50 are affected by CVI. With age, the risk rises.
What other symptoms are common?
Leg swelling, as the president has experienced, as well as skin irritation, are some symptoms, according to the American Heart Association.
Lower leg skin problems typically manifest as red, itchy, or flaky patches, caused by poor blood flow and occasionally resulting in ulcers.
Additional symptoms may include cramping, throbbing, restlessness, a heavy or tired feeling in the legs, and itching, bleeding, and itching.
Trump also had bruising on his hand, according to the White House. Dr Barbabella attributed that to “minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regime”, the White House release stated.
How serious is CVI?
The condition is generally mild but can worsen over time.
“Chronic Venous Insufficiency can significantly impact your quality of life, but early detection and treatment can make a substantial difference”, the chair of the American Heart Association’s Vascular Health Advisory Committee and Scientific Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease, Joshua A Beckman, said.
While the condition itself is usually not serious, it can be associated with more dangerous complications, such as deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot in a deep vein) or pulmonary embolism (a clot that blocks blood flow to the lungs).
Dr Barbabella, the president’s physician, described Trump’s case as “a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over 70”. He confirmed that Trump, 79, showed no signs of those more serious complications.
What is the treatment for CVI?
Doctors typically begin treatment with compression therapy, which helps reduce leg swelling and discomfort. Compression stockings are often prescribed and may be worn long-term, as they support vein function by promoting blood flow back to the heart.
In addition, doctors may recommend weight loss or resistance exercises to improve circulation.
Demonstrations have taken place at more than 1, 600 locations around the United States, in protest against President Donald Trump’s controversial policies that include mass deportations of immigrants and refugees and cuts to medical insurance, as well as the removal of other safety nets for impoverished people.
The “Good Trouble Lives On” refrain that underscored the national day of action on Thursday was inspired by the late congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, who died in 2020 at the age of 80 following an advanced pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
He was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by Martin Luther King Jr. In 1965, a 25-year-old Lewis led some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Lewis was beaten by police, suffering a skull fracture.
Organisers had called for peaceful protests to take place on the fifth anniversary of Lewis’s death along streets, at courts and other public spaces in cities including Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles.
“We are navigating one of the most terrifying moments in our nation’s history”, Lisa Gilbert, co-president of the nonprofit Public Citizen, said during an online news conference on Tuesday.
“We are all grappling with a rise of authoritarianism and lawlessness within our administration … as the rights, freedoms and expectations of our very democracy are being challenged”.
Pushback against Trump so far in his second term has centred on deportations and immigration enforcement tactics, as well as access to healthcare.
Protesters oppose mass deportation and the steepest rollbacks of social welfare programmes in the US since their inception]Adam Gray/Reuters]
The administration has pushed third-party countries to accept deportees, and the African country of Eswatini has confirmed this week that it received five individuals deported from the US. The US also completed the deportations of eight men to South Sudan after a judge cleared the way for their transfer to the violence-hit , African country.
Trump’s administration has also been actively targeting pro-Palestinian activists. Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student imprisoned for more than three months, this month filed a wrongful detention claim against Trump seeking $20m in damages.
The so‑called “One Big, Beautiful Bill” also prompted a backlash for slashing health coverage schemes, Medicare and Medicaid, by $930bn over the next decade. It could leave as many as 17 million Americans without insurance, in one of the steepest rollbacks of social welfare programmes in the US since their inception in 1935.
Earlier this month, protesters engaged in a tense standoff as federal authorities conducted mass arrests at two Southern California marijuana farms. One farmworker died after falling from a greenhouse roof during a chaotic raid.
The European Union has approved a new raft of stiff sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine, including a lower oil price cap, a ban on transactions with Nord Stream gas pipelines, and the targeting of more shadow fleet ships.
“The message is clear: Europe will not back down in its support for Ukraine. The EU will keep raising the pressure until Russia ends its war,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a statement on Friday.
Kallas said the EU move amounts to “one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date” linked to the war, which is now in its fourth year.
Ukraine’s newly appointed Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko welcomed the EU’s agreement on an 18th sanctions package against Russia, saying it “strengthens the pressure where it counts”. Svyrydenko added on X that there was more to be done in terms of measures to help bring peace closer.
The move comes as European countries start to buy United States weapons for Ukraine to help the country better defend itself.
US President Donald Trump announced the deal to supply more weapons to Ukraine and threatened earlier this week to impose steep tariffs on Russia unless a peace deal is reached within 50 days.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, had proposed to lower the oil price cap from $60 to $45, which is lower than the market price, to target Russia’s vast energy revenues.
The EU had hoped to get major international powers in the Group of Seven countries involved in the price cap to broaden the effect, but conflict in the Middle East pushed up oil prices, and the US administration could not be brought on board.
In 2023, Ukraine’s Western allies limited sales of Russian oil to $60 per barrel, but the price cap was largely symbolic as most of Moscow’s crude – its main moneymaker – cost less than that. Still, the cap was there in case oil prices rose.
Oil is Russia’s main source of income
The linchpin of Russia’s economy is oil income, allowing President Vladimir Putin to pour money into the armed forces without worsening inflation for people, and avoiding a currency collapse.
The EU has also targeted the Nord Stream pipelines between Russia and Germany to prevent Putin from generating any revenue from them in future, notably by discouraging would-be investors. Russian energy giant Rosneft’s refinery in India was hit, as well.
The pipelines were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany but are not in operation. They were targeted by sabotage in 2022, but the source of the underwater explosions has remained a major international mystery.
Additionally, the new EU sanctions are targeting Russia’s banking sector to limit the Kremlin’s ability to raise funds or carry out financial transactions. Two Chinese banks were added to the list.
The EU has slapped several rounds of sanctions on Russia since Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
On the face of it, Manchester City’s £12.5m deal to sign Norwegian teenage prodigy Sverre Nypan is the Premier League side looking to the future.
Clubs now have to navigate a more complicated transfer and work permit system to ensure players can settle in England, especially those who have yet to establish themselves at the highest level.
In what has been a record-selling deal for Rosenborg, Nypan, 18, has yet to earn all of his international honors for Norway.
Since Brexit, clubs have to consider regulations around Governing Body Endorsements (GBE) and, more recently, Elite Significant Contributions (ESC) – the criteria which has made it easier for English teams to sign players.
Both Chelsea and Manchester United have made excellent use of the system, including Chelsea’s deal for left-back Diego Leon this summer and Tottenham’s move for defender Luka Vuskovic two years ago.
So what is a GBE?
Images courtesy of Getty
Since January 2021, a non-British player must have a GBE endorsement before they can play professionally in the UK.
Autopass or qualification based on criteria developed by the Football Association are the two main ways to earn the GBE.
Some players gain an autopass through their international record, earned by the number of appearances for their national team over the past two years.
In the majority of cases, only competitive fixtures are taken into account, with friendlies only taking into account in extreme circumstances, such as a time-sensitive lack of competitive internationals.
They will be eligible for an autopass if they have played more than 30% of games for nations 1-10 in the world. If they represent a side ranked 31-50 – including Norway, Romania and Ivory Coast – they must have played over 70%.
Martin Zubimendi, a Spanish international who moved to Arsenal from Real Sociedad for a deal worth almost £60 million, has an autopass. However, with 17 points, Brighton signed Charalampos Kostoulas, who was signed from Olympiakos for more than £30m in June.
A minimum of 15 points is required, earned through a variety of criteria – league quality, domestic minutes played, league position, continental progress and minutes played in continental competitions, including the Champions League or the Copa Libertadores in South America.
Players are awarded 12 points in the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, and Ligue 1 respectively.
The English Championship is included in Band Two (when signing non-British players who do not automatically qualify), Portugal’s Premier League, Belgium’s First Division A, and the Turkish Super Lig, while Band Three includes Major League Soccer in the United States. The Greek Super League is considered Band Four, while Band Five includes Poland’s Ekstraklasa.
What exactly is an ESC, though?
The ESC rules allow a team in England]only England in the UK] to hold the registration of a player who does not qualify for a full GBE – one who cannot reach 15 points or get an autopass.
Premier League and Championship clubs can each hold up to four ESC spots, but they are not automatically able to do so.
The percentage of minutes that clubs give their English players is the main factor in how many slots there are.
The magic number is 35%. Below, the number of ESC slots available to Premier League and Championship clubs begins to decrease.
Although league one and two clubs are unlikely to have as many ESC spots as league one and two clubs do, it is still possible for those teams to have the same problems.
Once a slot is used on a signing, such as Nypan, it is gone until such time as the individual is sold or converted into a full GBE player.
If a player in an ESC slot meets the GBE requirements or makes a certain percentage of the team’s available minutes, the player can switch after 12 months. Then, they return the ESC slot.
It could happen if the player plays in 25% or more of matches which qualify for the club.
If a player is selected as an ESC, there are requirements for that player to meet.
Any of the eight FA regulations that a player may use may be violated. These include: playing in at least one competitive youth or senior international match for a top-50 ranked nation, or five times if the country is outside the top 50.
Players must be in a Band 1-5 league in addition to playing in at least five domestic youth or senior competition games.
Who is using the system well?
Images courtesy of Getty
To secure Nypan, Manchester City used an ESC to make their first move. Because of his only seven points, the teenager was not considered for the GBE.
The avenue of clubs bringing in 16-year-olds, like Arsenal did with Cesc Fabregas in 2003, are over because of Fifa regulations stopping them from signing players under 18 directly.
The EU’s freedom of movement was replaced by this rule prior to Brexit, making it still common for 16 and 17-year-olds to travel within the EU. This is one of the main factors that has led to the rise in Irish players playing in European clubs.
There are still other options, though. Tottenham signed Vuskovic under ESC rules when he was 16 in 2023. Before being loaned to Radomiak Radom in Poland and Belgium side Westerlo, the center-back spent the majority of his time with Hajduk Split.
He scored seven goals in 36 games for Westerlo last season to finish seventh in Belgium’s top flight. Spurs ‘ work paid off with Vuskovic now classed as a GBE and he made his Croatia debut against Czech Republic last month.
Chelsea has also made the most of the system. After initially avoiding a work permit, Andréy Santos left Vasco de Gama and joined the Brazilian side on loan.
He was issued one that summer and sent on loan to Nottingham Forest for 2023-24, but he managed just two appearances before instead joining Strasbourg, Chelsea’s French sister club, on an 18-month loan.
After initially remaining with their parent clubs, Kendry Paez, Mike Penders, Dario Essugo, and Estevao Willian all agreed to move to Stamford Bridge this summer on GBE deals.
Antonio Cordero, 18, a teen winger from Malaga, has been a key player for Newcastle in the ESC market.
“The trend is to get young players and put them on a long contract and it gives you a lot of flexibility”, said Andy Watson, owner of website GBE Expert Hub, who guides clubs on the intricacies of the system.
“Then, I’m hoping, they’ll establish themselves. A fantastic illustration of this is Santana at Chelsea. They will probably keep him but could have sold him for tens of millions.
In terms of player trading, it has evolved into a business. You must make informed decisions. You can’t just sign anybody.
There has been more freedom with the ESC slots, but a strategy must be put in place to remove players from those slots. Four is the limit.
” ESC is being used to sign players who are very young and a bit more of a risk and it wouldn’t surprise you if the ones who have used ESC more than others are Bournemouth, Aston VIlla, Wolves.
What about the lower leagues?
Images courtesy of Getty
There has been a rapid rise in international recruitment in the Championship, owing much to the introduction of the ESC.
There were 59 ESC transfers last season, up from 23 during the 23-to-24 season, according to GBE Expert Hub, and 107 deals related to GBE, up from 19 when the regulations were first put into effect.
After initially joining on loan from Zenit St Petersburg, Wilson Isidor helped the Black Cats reclaim the Premier League after eight years.
His ESC move became a GBE one once the Black Cats made the deal permanent in February.
After joining from Sweden’s IF Brommapojkarna, Derby goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, who had signed for Djurgaarden in Sweden, Torbjorn Heggem only played one league game for West Brom, while Derby goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom also played 41 games.
“I don’t think people anticipated a huge rise in overseas recruitment in the last 12 months; many believed Brexit would stifle foreign trade, which it hasn’t,” Watson said.
“It tells you recruitment teams are using the data more in the non-domestic market.
In comparison to the past, there haven’t been as many bad decisions being made at the Championship level and there haven’t been as many clubs facing problems. It includes ESC and Brexit.
“The regulations of GBE almost ringfence the pool of players you can go for, so you are not taking as many risks or making as many bad decisions. That is one of the benefits of the regulations.
The ESC opens up more options because League One and League Two clubs are unlikely to have qualified players with the 15 points required for a GBE.
Reading profited from the rule by signing New Zealand centre-back Tyler Bindon from LAFC academy in 2023, before selling him to Nottingham Forest in February. This season, he will be playing on loan at Sheffield United.
After Alassana Jatta scored enough minutes to earn a GBE and give up an additional spot, Notts Country signed American goalkeeper Tyler Miller for an ESC in April. Miller was released at the end of the season.
A group of UN experts claims that Rwanda is under the control of M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, that Uganda has “unilaterally doubled its military presence” there, and that armed groups, including those affiliated with the Congolese government, are violating civilian rights.
An as-yet unpublished report from UN experts on DRC that was leaked to the media and seen by Al Jazeera describes violations by all parties to the conflict and blames neighbouring governments for allegedly exploiting and escalating the current crisis.
According to the Reuters news agency, the report was submitted to the UN Security Council in May. Unnamed UN official who contributed to the report told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity that it is anticipated to be released soon.
While analysts see these reports as an essential tool of accountability, Kigali and Kampala have called the experts biased.
The government and government have repeatedly refuted the accusations made against them, but neither has responded to Al Jazeera’s request for comment on the report’s content.
Meanwhile, the recent findings run the risk of dampening the cautious optimism brought about by Kinshasa and M23’s ongoing Qatar-mediated peace talks and the signing of a peace agreement between Rwanda and the DRC last month.
Rwanda’s ‘ instruction’, control of resources
M23, which the UN claims is supported by Rwanda, has been at odds with the Congolese army and its allied militias known as Wazalendo for years. Kigali refutes this claim. M23 quickly seized control of Goma and Bukavu, the capitals of North Kivu and South Kivu, which it still holds today.
The latest UN experts report – the first since M23’s advance – offers a stark assessment of the conflict, placing blame on Rwanda for facilitating the rapid expansion of the rebel forces.
According to the report, Rwanda is “critical support” for M23, which receives “instructions” from the country’s government and intelligence services.
[Photo: Arlette Bashizi/Reuters] M23 rebels squat on a truck near the DRC-Rwanda border crossing [Arlette Bashizi/Reuters]
In previous reports, the UN experts found there were some 3, 000-4, 000 Rwandan troops fighting alongside M23 in the DRC.
According to the new report, Rwandan officials secretly informed the Group of Experts that President Paul Kagame had decided to take control of Goma and Bukavu one week prior to the [M23] Goma attack.
Rwanda has repeatedly denied supporting M23, and Kigali has harshly criticized the UN experts.
“These reports were written long ago”, President Paul Kagame said at a news conference in Kigali on July 4, after the contents of the report started circulating in international media.
The Rwandan leader criticized the UN panel of experts, saying, “They come here just to confirm a narrative they already had.”
Kagame compared the experts to a burglar who burns a house and also serves as a prosecutor and judge. “The very ones who burned the]house] are the ones in the seat to judge and prosecute”.
However, the UN report only reiterated its criticism of Kigali.
According to the report, Rwanda is held accountable for the actions of the group because of the Rwandan army’s “de facto direction and effective control” over M23’s operations, arguing that Rwanda’s behavior qualifies as international sanctionable.
Last month’s US-brokered deal between the DRC and Rwanda does not include M23, but it stipulates that all parties should comply with the Qatar peace process. Additionally, it is emphasized that the Congolese government should encourage Hutus’ support of the armed group’s FDLR, which is linked to Tutsis’ deaths in the 1994 Rwanda genocide. According to the agreement, Rwanda should then halt its “defensive measures” inside the DRC.
While Kigali has often argued that its actions in the DRC are aimed at addressing longstanding security threats posed by the FDLR, the UN experts assert that its actions went far beyond legitimate security concerns.
According to the experts, “Kigali’s ultimate goal was to retain control over the DRC’s natural resources.”
Coltan was among the minerals smuggled into Rwanda after being stolen from mines in towns that were seized by M23. “Once in Rwanda, the looted minerals were mixed with local production, effectively laundering them into the downstream supply chain under the guise of Rwandan origin”, the report said.
Boss Mining Solutions Inc., which is represented by Eddy Habimana, who has previously been linked to the illegal movement of minerals from the DRC, purchased a portion of the minerals, according to the report.
The report also mentions Uganda’s violation of international law in addition to Rwanda.
Amid the Rwanda/M23–DRC fighting, there was a “rapid military build-up” by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, the report said.
The number of troops significantly increased this year, it continued, “effectively doubling Uganda’s footprint in the nation.”
According to the report, the Ugandan army, which has collaborated with the Congolese military to combat the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel movement with roots in Uganda, “unilaterally” increased its troop presence in eastern DRC.
“The DRC government confirmed that the new UPDF deployment was executed without its prior approval, and that UPDF was undertaking unilateral initiatives outside the framework of joint operations with the]Congolese army]”, the report read.
The panel of experts’ opinions on the deployment posed questions about Kampala’s motivations, particularly given previous assertions that the UPDF supported M23. The report claims that the troop movements created a de facto buffer zone to protect M23 from northern counterattacks despite Uganda’s claim that they were defensive and meant to safeguard its economic interests.
In response, Uganda’s ambassador to the UN, Adonia Ayebare, wrote on X that the report “contains falsehoods” and attempts to undermine the joint military operation with the DRC. After the publication of the report, he promised to make an official statement about Uganda.
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the head of Uganda’s army, wrote on X that: “We (UPDF) continue to save the lives of people in our region while the UN’s so-called “Group of Experts” produces biased reports against us.”
The report by the UN experts had called out “repeated incendiary public statements” by Kainerugaba in which they said he emphasised close cooperation between the UPDF and the Rwandan army.
Additionally, the report also accused former ICC convict Thomas Lubanga of starting a political-military movement to challenge the Congolese government, “with at least moral and passive support from the Ugandan authorities.”
Lubanga, who addressed journalists in Kampala on July 16 said he is being forced to flee because Kinshasa had been pursuing his cause because it “would find itself on Kinshasa’s doorstep today.”
Civilians push a bicycle loaded with goods as soldiers walk by, near the border between Uganda and the DRC]File: Arlette Bashizi/Reuters]
interests in the DRC are Rwandan and Ugandan.
In light of regional dynamics, Professor Kristof Titeca, who recently published a report on Uganda’s operations in the DRC, urges readers to read the UN report and the associated backlash.
Kigali and Kampala share overlapping interests in the DRC – chiefly concerning security, political influence, and economic access – but these interests also place them in a complex relationship of both cooperation and competition, he said.
After Uganda allowed its soldiers to enter the country in pursuit of the ADF, Titeca claims that Kigali’s fear that Kampala might encroach on its influence in eastern DRC contributed to the rapid expansion and resurgence of M23.
As M23 gained ground toward the end of 2024, Uganda sent troops to combat rebels, specifically those who wanted to stop Rwanda from entering areas of interest.
Titeca says the military manoeuvres were as much a strategic message to Rwanda as they were about protecting Ugandan interests.
Titeca suggests that Kigali and Kampala may have an implicit understanding of their respective areas of influence based on movements and postures that have been observed since late 2024.
Some people believe Kampala and Kigali’s area of interest agreement might exist, he said.
In eastern DRC, “they are friends and also enemies at the same time”, he added, referring to Uganda and Rwanda.
The violations committed by Kinshasa
Kinshasa also bears some responsibility, according to the UN experts. On the Congolese side, the report paints a picture of a state under siege, struggling to maintain sovereignty over its eastern territories.
Despite the latter being subject to UN sanctions and being heavily dependent on irregular Wazalendo organizations and the Rwandan army, the government remained heavily dependent on both.
This alliance, according to the report, has worsened the security and human rights situation, causing reprisals attacks, child restraining, and sexual violence.
As it called out M23’s actions during the taking of Goma and Bukavu, the report also documented a pattern of grave international humanitarian law and rights violations – including looting, sexual violence, and killings – by retreating Congolese soldiers and Wazalendo fighters at the same time.
According to the statement, “These abuses occurred in a climate of impunity, in the general context of a weakening chain of command.”
The Congolese government pressed Al Jazeera for a response to these assertions, but they were unsuccessful.
In dismissing the report, the Rwandan president accused the panel of perpetuating a biased narrative against Kigali and of ignoring Congolese government complicity with the FDLR, which he says continues to spread anti-Tutsi views that led to the 1994 genocide.
At the July 4 press conference, Kagame said, “All the reports, 75% of them, blame AFC/M23 and Rwanda.” You won’t find that they have a thorough analysis of FDLR or how institutionalized Congolese people spread genocide ideology. How can experts not see that”?
Rwandan analyst Thierry Gatete questioned the UN panel’s legitimacy and claimed that they hardly ever conduct field research in response to Kagame’s criticisms.
He claimed that they rely on witness accounts from Congolese officials or FDLR sympathisers while sitting in New York or Paris.
The report notes that Rwanda denied the group of experts access to Kigali. Gatete claims that Rwanda initially cooperated with the panel before giving up because the reports were consistently biased and inconsequential. He claimed that “nobody takes what they write seriously.”
While Rwanda and Uganda view the UN reports as biased, others see them as essential tools for accountability.
The panel provides crucial evidence that challenges both state and non-state actors, according to Stewart Muhindo, a researcher with the Congolese civil society organization LUCHA.
He noted that “the panel tells the hard truths,” noting that the report also criticizes the DRC government for continuing to cooperate with the FDLR despite promises to end the alliance. “It’s not just about blaming Rwanda”.
Muhindo and other UN experts concur that the humanitarian crisis has been exacerbated by the DRC’s reliance on Wazalendo fighters. He claimed that these irregular forces have been responsible for atrocities, including child soldiers’ recruitment and attacks, despite not being sanctioned like the FDLR.
Is it truly fair to punish people for their past errors because being “canceled” has become a public ritual? In digital form, we examine cancel culture, public accountability, and what it means to be “forgotten.”
Can cancel culture be justified?(Image: Getty Images)
Being ‘cancelled’ has almost become the norm for those in the public eye. From musicians and influencers to even politicians, very few manage to escape unscathed once old tweets and controversial comments resurface – leading to job losses or a decline in fans, no matter how long ago they were made or how much they claim to have grown since.
In the past few weeks, Love Island contestants have found themselves in the firing line over derogatory and racist comments. First it was Yulissa Escobar, kicked off the US version of the show just two days after a video of her using the N‑word resurfaced online. Then fellow contestant came Cierra Ortega was removed from the show after an old picture surfaced showing her using a slur.
Back in the UK, old tweets by contestant Helena Ford recently came to light, including one from over 10 years ago, which read: “All I can hear are these f**king foreign dickheads.” Viewers have called for ITV to remove her, yet she remains in the villa.
READ MORE: Love Island’s Helena Ford accused of sharing offensive tweet as post resurfaces
Fans were calling for Helena to be removed from the show(Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
However, reality TV contestants are not the only ones. Millions of people actively participate in cancel culture online, even as they question whether it has gone too far, as both a tool of accountability and a source of conflict for many.
Is cancel culturejustifiable?
Many people think that cancel culture is a recent development, while others even attribute it to an overly “sensitive” generation. However, the concept of excluding someone for bad behavior dates back as far as the 1990s.
However, the term “cancel culture” gained traction in the mid-2010s, particularly as a result of the #MeToo movement, which saw a rise in sexual harassment and assault charges in the media.
In a 2024 study published in Acta Psychological, researchers Cheselle Jan L. Roldan, Ardvic Kester S. Ong and Dhonn Q. Tomas explored how Gen Z engage with cancel culture.
According to them, “Cancel culture places a spotlight on issues like sexism, racism, and abuse,” which might encourage or push people to become aware of the seriousness and specificities of the issue.
However, they also cautioned against “cancel culture easily turns into cyberbullying, especially for teenagers, as the act may narrow the way to empathy and forgiveness for the errant individual or organization.”
Can you cancel culture?
Cancel culture attempts to hold those responsible for harm, but it fails to always achieve its goals, especially when those responsible have wealthy, powerful fans, or well-known brands behind them.
Take J.K. Rowling, who faced backlash for her views on transgender people. Yet the Harry Potter franchise continues to generate significant revenue. Rowling is even working on the new TV adaption of the popular series.
Continue reading the article.
And sometimes, fans choose to completely reject the artist’s legacy, regardless of their own opinions.
The internet is truly forgetful.
The notion that “the internet never forgets” is untrue isn’t it entirely? Individuals in the UK have the right to be forgotten under the GDPR law, also known as the “right to erasure,” which enables them to request the removal of their personal data in certain circumstances.
