Did I just phone "Epstein Island"?

Alister has left me to my own devices again… And I’m choosing a story that I find particularly despicable.

Early last week, 4 ambulances belonging to Hatzola Northwest, a Jewish ambulance charity in North London, were deliberately set on fire while parked outside a synagogue. Gas and oxygen cylinders exploded, damaging nearby buildings and vehicles. Luckily, no one was injured.

Antisemitism in the UK has sadly been on the rise. The Community Security Trust recorded about 3,700 incidents in 2025, the second‑highest total ever and higher than the previous year.

Ambulances are meant to save lives, so attacking these is so deplorable. Two men (mid/late 40s) have been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and released on bail, while counter-terror detectives continue to investigate, including a potential link with an Islamist group with a possible link to Iran.

The AM Squabble firmly believes in fundamental human rights for all regardless of gender, sexual preference, ethnicity, politics, and religion… including those who are MAGA supporters or like Marmite or place their loo roll so it falls behind the roll (instead of in front, like a sane person). 🤣

Almost 2 trillion snaps were shared by Snapchat users last year! Let’s see if we can’t beat that number and share The AM Squabble!

💸 Golden parachute for failure. NS&I’s Dax Harkins is "stepping down" with a £1.5 million pension after his bank failed to pay 37,500 grieving families. So is a lifetime of luxury the latest reward for losing £476 million? Shocking.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Failed? Try Holyrood. John Swinney launched the SNP's election campaign promising a "fresh start" while fielding 12 candidates already rejected by voters in 2024. The recycled MPs have been nicknamed FILTH: Failed In London, Try Holyrood.

🪙 Crypto cashout. Starmer has finally banned all cryptocurrency donations to political parties with immediate effect, calling untraceable digital cash a "stark" danger to democracy. Overseas donors are now capped at £100k a year too. Reform UK, which bagged £12m from a businessman in Thailand, is furious. Funny, that.

📺 Ctrl+Alt+BBC. The BBC has hired a former Google boss, Matt Britain, as its new Director-General. He’s never produced a TV programme but once told MPs he didn't know his own salary. But he'll earn £565k leading the network through a charter review, a Trump lawsuit, and the slow death of the licence fee. At least iPlayer might finally work properly.

☀️ Solar by default. Every new home in England will be built with solar panels and heat pumps from 2028 after the govt fast-tracked its Future Homes Standard in response to the energy crisis. Interest in solar has spiked 50% since the Iran war began. Plug-in panels for balconies will hit shops within months, possibly even the middle of Lidl.

GOOD NEWS… for parents after a jury in L.A. found Meta and YouTube liable for designing "addictive" platforms that harmed a young user. While the tech giants blame "complex" mental health, they’re now on the hook for $6 million. BAD NEWS… for American soldiers, after The Washington Post learned that the Pentagon is preparing for ground operations in Iran. While Trump claims he’s "not putting troops anywhere," thousands of Marines are arriving anyway.

🏃‍♀️ Olympic’s new DNA test. The IOC has banned trans women from female events, citing a need for "fairness." Under the new policy, athletes must pass a mandatory gene test, aligning the Games with recent U.S. executive orders ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

🛢️ The Gulf gap. France has confirmed that Iran's retaliatory strikes have destroyed up to 40% of Gulf refining capacity, leaving a global shortage of 11 million barrels a day. Repairs could take three years. Europe is now scrambling for alternative energy supplies while the UK and Germany quietly fast track their green transitions.

🗳️ History on hold. The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to declare the slave trade the “gravest crime against humanity,” with 123 nations in favour and just three against. Britain abstained, alongside all 27 EU members, citing concerns over "ranking" atrocities. Ghana's president called it "a route to healing." The West called it legally complicated.

🏠 Practise what you legislate. South Korea's president has barred property speculators in govt from making housing policy. Officials who own multiple homes, expensive homes they don't live in, or "excessive" property are now excluded entirely. He even sold his own house below market value. If the UK tried this, half of Parliament would be out of a job.

🍟 Junk food strikes back. Eating 9 servings of ultra-processed food a day raises your risk of heart attack and stroke by 67%. Each additional daily serving bumps the risk up 5%, even after controlling for calories, diet quality and existing conditions. So put down those Pringles.

💊 Medicated and waiting. A sharp rise in antidepressant prescriptions for children has experts sounding the alarm over "quick-fix" culture and collapsing mental health services. Guidelines say children should see a psychiatrist first, but with 100,000+ referrals a month, doctors say there's "no good choice." One patient was six years old.

💇 Stuck on you. Forget hair transplants. Men are gluing toupees to their heads and calling them "hair systems." Sales surged 43% last year, driven by TikTok transformation videos. Wearers can swim, gym, and jetski without losing it. One man's family still doesn't know.

🏖️ Housebound to Cancun. A woman who pocketed £23k in disability benefits claiming anxiety made her too ill to leave the house was caught surfing and ziplining in Mexico. She also managed 76 beauty appointments and three trips to Thorpe Park. When confronted, she said: "I didn't realise you're not allowed to leave your house." 🙄

😤 Reward for hard work? More work. New research confirms what every keen employee suspected - bosses pile extra tasks on the most motivated staff, because they assume those workers will enjoy it. 74% of managers did exactly that in the study, even when it cost employees their bonuses. Enthusiasm is officially a workplace trap.

💍 One nerd to rule them all. Late-night comedy host, Stephen Colbert, is officially co-writing a new Lord of the Rings film. Finally, a man whose entire personality is "Tolkien superfan" gets to turn his expensive hobby into a screenplay. It’s the ultimate victory for nerds everywhere!

By Meridyth

Do you have really dry skin? I recently developed something called keratosis pilaris, which is a build-up of keratin in my hair follicles due to dry skin… leaving tiny bumps around my elbows and shoulders. I’ve moisturised every day, but it’s still there.

Over the weekend, I found My Skin Feels specifically made for eczema and dry skin. Its hydrating, antioxidant-rich formula is from rescued food-industry by-products (like Italian oranges, oats, olives, and tomatoes). It’s a pretty cool concept, but does it work?

While I can’t speak for people with eczema, having used it for two days, my bumps have gone down significantly. But £36 for a small tube? 😬 It feels like a last-resort purchase. While you only use a little bit, it’s still a hefty price tag. (FYI - We don’t get paid for our reviews or any free product.)

By Meridyth

In case you missed Tiger Woods flipping his car while driving drunk, here’s the quick recap, so you can enjoy this Twitter/X post. 🤪

Alister is back next week with his mom jeans. Join us next week for another Squabble!

Just Meridyth this time