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How to uncover the facts about the companies involved in NHS privatisation - a joint OurNHS/Corporate Watch guide.

The more you know about the companies carving up the NHS, the better you can campaign against them. Chances are your first port of call will be the internet. This introductory guide, from OurNHS openDemocracy and Corporate Watch, shows you how to get the information you need as quickly as possible.

The Information Commissioner has ordered the Home Office to disclose confidential self-audit reports written by the companies that ran two controversial immigration detention centres. The decision follows a ten month freedom of information battle by Corporate Watch.

The Commissioner slammed the Home Office for a series of delays and said there is “a very strong public interest” in disclosure. He said the reports contain “detailed breakdowns and insight” into the performance of Serco and the Geo Group on their multi-million pound government contracts for operating the Colnbrook and Harmondsworth facilities. The Home Office has to hand over the documents by 13 July 2015 or risk contempt of court. The Home Office can still appeal the Commissioner's decision.

As the anniversary of last year's seven week long massacre by Israel in the Gaza Strip draws closer, evidence obtained by Corporate Watch shows that a French company manufactured equipment used by the Israeli military in Gaza last year. Photos taken by International Solidarity Movement activist Charlie Andreasson on 7 August 2014 show that a military battery pack manufactured in the US by French company SAFT was discarded in the village of Khuza'a in the southern Gaza Strip after one of the worst massacres of the attack.

Surrey resident Alison Jones describes the poor quality of care her father Brian received from MiHomecare in his final years.

When my dad got out of hospital in August 2013 after a variety of diabetes-related conditions he needed carers to come to his house in Caterham every morning and evening to help him wash, dress, prepare his food and take his medicine. He was 76 years old. The care was organised through MiHomecare.

Almost as soon as the carers started it was very clear that they did not have enough time to do their job. They did not seem to have enough time to travel between clients as they rarely turned up on time. This was important as dad was diabetic and needed his food and insulin at regular times.

One carer was very good. She lived nearby and on the days she came dad was very well cared for. On the other days it was hit and miss.

On Thursday 23 April 2015, several protests were held outside the gates of the Barclays Annual General Meeting at the Royal Festival Hall. Several activists bought shares and attended the AGM in order to ask questions.

Anti-militarist activists held a protest calling on Barclays to divest from the arms trade.

One activist read out an alternative chairman's speech to the queue of shareholders waiting to pass through security. He was roughly carried away from the entrance by Festival Hall security guards.

A press release from the Stop Barclays Coalition states: “Barclays is the named shareholder in several major arms firms including Raytheon, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin:

* Lockheed Martin is the world's largest arms company. Their products include Hellfire missiles, Apache attack which have been used in Iraq, and F-16 fighter aircraft which have been used by the Israeli military in attacks on Gaza.

This briefing collects the memories of the pain and resilience of Palestinians who have been imprisoned by Israel, and profiles the companies involved.

Pictured - Palestinian women and their children join the weekly sit-in in solidarity with Palestinian detainees in israeli jails - Gaza City

Secret filming reveals conditions inside Harmondsworth immigration detention centre for the first time, where hundreds of people face deportation.

The footage was shot by a detainee and obtained by Corporate Watch as part of a five month investigation into Mitie, the outsourcing firm that took over Harmondsworth in September 2014 under a multi-million pound Home Office contract.

The videos, some of which are also featured on Channel 4 News tonight, reveal:

- Home Office staff admitting that conditions in Harmondsworth are “shit”, and that detainees are not allowed cameras to photograph inside the centre because the government “don't want the bad publicity that would entail”.

- A guard saying that the new Mitie management has “fucked this place up”, making staff work more shifts and get less rest. “It's just gonna break. There's only so much people can take”, the guard warns.

• Campaigners warn Government against granting up to £1 billion of tax payers’ money for Drax carbon capture scheme
• White Rose Coal Power plant with Carbon Capture and Storage dubbed “White Elephant” as similar US scheme collapses

The US Government has pulled the plug on a flagship carbon capture project on which they had already spent hundreds of millions of dollars. [1] Meanwhile, the UK Government is expected to make an imminent announcement of a grant of up to £1 billion to a similar coal power station ‘carbon capture’ project by a consortium including Drax plc, owners of the UK’s largest power station. [2]

Israel Aerospace Industries is one of Israel's biggest arms companies. Founded in 1953 as Bedek, IAI has long been at the forefront of Israel's arms production and export. It also develops systems for commercial aircraft. In 2013, 73% of IAI's sales revenues came from exports.

IAI writes on its website of its drones' “unsurpassed track record of over 1,200,000 operational flight hours for over 50 users on five continents”. IAI's drones have been used in Israel's attacks on Gaza and Lebanon to devastating effect. Palestinians are calling for camppaigners to take action against the company.

To read our company profile click here

Elbit Systems, based in Haifa, is Israel’s largest publicly traded arms and security company. Elbit is growing fast. It has absorbed dozens of companies since 2000 and now employs well over 11,500 people as well a presiding over a considerable global network of subsidiaries and affiliated corporations.

Elbit is a company with international reach, in fact 75% of its market is outside Israel. The company has military contracts with governments in the US, UK and Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.