Matt Blake
The Guardian
United Kingdom
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Past articles by Matt:
‘The more we pulled back the carpet, the more we saw’: what I learned when I bought a house with a dark past
I knew the place I’d just moved into wasn’t my dream home. What I didn’t know was that its history would give me nightmares … → Read More
How Politicians Fooled the World Into Believing in Nations
National identities make us believe in ideas like democracy, money, and laws. The trouble is they are stories that can all too easily be manipulated for political power. Take Brexit... → Read More
How Big U.S. Companies Are Selling Weed Vapes in the United Kingdom
We met J.J. O'Brien from vape giant PAX Labs to talk about bringing the PAX 3 to the U.K. and marketing a legal product to an illegal market. → Read More
This is what it’s like to be eaten by a hippo
"Time passes very slowly when you're in a hippo's mouth" → Read More
Anna Campbell’s father: ‘I don’t think I had any right to stop her fighting in Syria’
Dirk Campbell was shocked when his 26-year-old daughter said she was going to join Kurdish forces in Syria. Following her death in action, he talks about her journey from idealist to freedom fighter → Read More
‘Thousands could die’: female British fighter urges support for Syria's Kurds
Rukan Renas, like Anna Campbell who died last week, is one of handful of UK women in the all-female YPJ units → Read More
British woman killed fighting Turkish forces in Afrin
Anna Campbell believed to be the first British woman to die alongside Kurdish forces in Syria → Read More
British man who fought Isis in Syria charged with terror offences
Aidan James, 27, is second Briton to face charges after travelling to join Syrian Kurdish YPG → Read More
Anti-Isis fighters gather in Dorset for funeral of UK sniper Jac Holmes
Volunteers from Kurdish YPG force pay tribute to former IT worker killed in action in Syria → Read More
Kriss Akabusi tells you how to deal with losing your hair
By 1986, Kriss Akabusi was at the peak of his powers as a 400m runner, with an Olympic silver medal already under his belt. Then, aged 28, his hair began to fall out. I just realised, as I get ready to turn 60, I’ve been bald for more of my life than not. Do I care? No. Why would I? My hair first started receding in my late twenties. Until that point I’d had a full head of lovely hair. OK, as a… → Read More
Mother of British man killed in Syria praises his caring nature
Oliver Hall was trying to save a boy from a booby-trapped building in Raqqa when a bomb exploded nearby → Read More
British man fighting Isis in Syria has been killed in Raqqa, sources say
Oliver Hall, 24, who travelled to Syria last August, is believed to have been clearing mines with the Kurdish YPG → Read More
Briton held in Turkey on terrorism charges released on bail
Former soldier Joe Robinson was arrested while on holiday in July after spending a month in Syria with Kurdish militia in 2015 → Read More
Briton who fought Isis killed in Raqqa a week after city liberated
Mother of Jac Holmes, 24, who left IT job in Bournemouth to volunteer with Kurdish fighters in Syria, says he died on Monday → Read More
10-year journey: KSI on posting FIFA vlogs to becoming bigger than YouTube
Being a YouTuber’s not easy. You have to constantly think of new ideas. Constantly post. You have to be director, producer, editor, commentator, cameraman, star. In the past, if I didn’t post for a while, I’d get messages saying, “KSI RIP.” It got to the point where all the YouTube stuff had got too much and I went Awol for a bit. Then I came back and released an EP called Space to explain the… → Read More
British film-maker killed by Isis militants in Syria
Mehmet Aksoy, from London, was working as a press officer for Kurdish forces in Raqqa when military base was attacked → Read More
Man who joined Kurdish militia to fight Isis in Syria arrested in UK
Former care worker from Nottinghamshire held for second time under Terrorism Act after fighting with People’s Protection Units → Read More
Hundreds of British Kurds protest at arms fair over sales to Turkey
Demonstrators say British weapons bought at London fair will be used against Kurds including those fighting Isis in Syria → Read More
Family beg May to help UK ex-soldier held in Turkey after fighting Isis
Joe Robinson is charged with membership of terrorist organisation after fighting with US-backed Kurdish group in Syria in 2015 → Read More
'Our sons were heroes', say families of British men killed fighting Isis
Thinktank report angers families by saying British volunteers with Kurdish forces should be treated as potential terrorists → Read More