UK's Lammy says Israel settlement plan 'must be stopped now'
"The UK strongly opposes the Israeli government's E1 settlement plans, which would divide a future Palestinian state in two and mark a flagrant breach of international law. The plans must be stopped now," Lammy said in an emailed statement.
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The Independent
5 minutes ago
- The Independent
Another 60 people to be prosecuted for ‘showing support for Palestine Action'
A further 60 people will be prosecuted for 'showing support for the proscribed terrorist group Palestine Action', the Metropolitan Police have said. The force said this follows the arrest of more than 700 people since the group was banned on July 7, including 522 in central London last Saturday. More prosecutions are expected in the coming weeks, and arrangements have been put in place 'that will enable us to investigate and prosecute significant numbers each week if necessary', the Met said. Palestine Action was proscribed in July after the group claimed responsibility for damage to jets at RAF Brize Norton and was also linked to allegations of a serious assault on staff and police officers at a business premises in south Gloucestershire, the force said. Last weekend in central London 15,000 people demonstrated peacefully in support of the Palestinian cause with only one arrest, police said, adding that 522 were arrested 'for an illegal show of support for Palestine Action on the same day'. Stephen Parkinson, director of public prosecutions, said: 'The decisions that we have announced today are the first significant numbers to come out of the recent protests, and many more can be expected in the next few weeks. We are ready to make swift decisions in all cases where arrests have been made. 'The public has a democratic right to protest peacefully in this country, and I understand the depth of feeling around the horrific scenes in Gaza. 'However, Palestine Action is now a proscribed terrorist organisation and those who have chosen to break the law will be subject to criminal proceedings under the Terrorism Act. 'When protest conduct crosses the line from lawful activity into criminality, we have a duty to enforce the law. ' People should be clear about the real-life consequences for anyone choosing to support Palestine Action. A terrorism conviction can severely impact your life and career – it can restrict your ability to travel overseas and work in certain professions. 'I urge people to think very carefully about their actions at protests. Anyone who chooses to disobey the law will have to face the consequences.'
Scottish Sun
5 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Russia's twisted digs at Ukraine ahead of Alaska talks from Lavrov wearing USSR jumper to media served ‘Chicken Kiev'
Watch as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Alaska donning a sweatshirt screaming "CCCP" - the Russian initials for the Soviet Union FROM RUSSIA WITH SNUB Russia's twisted digs at Ukraine ahead of Alaska talks from Lavrov wearing USSR jumper to media served 'Chicken Kiev' RUSSIA has rolled into Alaska with a swagger - and a sneer - before Vladimir Putin even sets foot on US soil. From a USSR sweatshirt to Chicken Kyiv cutlets, Moscow has dialled up its twisted digs at Ukraine – mixing Cold War nostalgia with brazen mockery as it struts into talks that could decide the country's future. 7 Vladimir Putin during a visit to a plant of Omega-Sea enterprise in the far eastern port city of Magadan ahead of his summit with Trump Credit: Reuters 7 Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov turns up in Alaska wearing a CCCP sweatshirt Credit: X Advertisement 7 Russian journalists were also served chicken Kyiv, a deliberate jab at Ukraine Credit: Getty 7 President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews on Friday ahead of his meeting with Putin Credit: AP Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived for the summit wearing a sweatshirt screaming "CCCP" - the Russian initials for the Soviet Union - in a pointed reminder of Moscow's imperial past and its denial of Ukraine's right to exist. Once hailed in the West as a wily diplomat, the 75-year-old now channels the Kremlin's hardline swagger, doubling down on Soviet nostalgia even as Russian forces slaughter Ukrainians on the front line. Advertisement Lithuanian ex-foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis mocked the choice: ''Just give us half of Ukraine and we promise we will stop,' says negotiator wearing USSR sweatshirt.' The stunt plays neatly into Putin's warped narrative that Russians and Ukrainians are 'one people' – a lie that has underpinned the Kremlin's land grabs, war crimes, and the tearing down of memorials to Ukraine's suffering under Soviet rule. Read more on the summit LYING DESPOT KGB officer who trained with Putin gives chilling warning ahead of Trump talks But Lavrov's jumper wasn't the only jab. On the flight to Alaska, Russian state journalists were served chicken Kyiv – the Ukrainian dish whose name alone is enough to provoke Moscow's fury. Advertisement RT boss Margarita Simonyan gleefully posted about the menu, while pro-Putin mouthpiece Sergei Markov went further, snarling that 'Putin and Trump should make a chicken Kyiv out of Zelensky.' The trolling mood soured when Russia's press corps landed in Anchorage to find their 'modest sleeping quarters' were inside a converted ice hockey stadium. Once a Covid hospital, the venue is now lined with fold-out army beds donated by the Red Cross. 'We are living in Spartan conditions,' one reporter grumbled in a clip shared on social media, The Guardian reported. Trump says tyrant Putin's need to kill 'might be in his genes' but onslaught 'hurts his negotiations' as leaders head to Alaska for Ukraine peace summit This is Russia's brand of diplomacy – trolling, humiliation, and a smug grin. Advertisement Behind the theatrics is a clear aim: to rattle Kyiv and its allies before a summit that could shape Ukraine's fate. Zelensky has already warned that any deal without Ukraine risks disaster. He said earlier on Friday: 'The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace… We are counting on America.' Donald Trump, meanwhile, is publicly playing the hard man. 'Maybe it's in his genes,' he said of Putin's appetite for killing, warning of 'very severe' consequences if the Russian leader isn't serious about peace. Advertisement 'If I weren't president, he would take over all of Ukraine… but I am president and he's not going to mess around with me.' The two leaders will lock eyes at the Elmendorf-Richardson base near Anchorage at 11.30am local time (8.30pm UK), with over 32,000 troops, air defences, and electronic jamming systems locking the place down. 7 The two leaders are set to meet today at 11.30am local time 7 A room is seen setup ahead of the US-Russia summit on Ukraine Credit: AFP Putin's feared 'Musketeers' bodyguards will be in tow, along with the nuclear briefcase – and even his notorious 'poo suitcase' to guard his medical secrets. Advertisement Anchorage locals are already protesting, furious that a man wanted for war crimes is being welcomed to US soil. Many are demanding an immediate end to the 'barbaric killing of innocent civilians' in Ukraine. Meanwhile, a former spy who trained at the same KGB school as Vladimir Putin has warned of the Kremlin strongman's powers of manipulation - and claimed the despot has already 'won' today's summit with Trump. Behind closed doors, Trump and Putin will 'thrash out sensitive matters' before facing the press. Sources suggest Trump may dangle economic sweeteners – from access to Alaska's resources to a 'West Bank-style' model letting Russia keep its occupied Ukrainian land without redrawing borders. Advertisement Putin has praised Trump's 'sincere efforts,' but Zelensky isn't buying it – calling the Russian leader's peace talk a bluff. Trump, for now, insists the stakes couldn't be higher, posting a blunt warning before boarding Air Force One: 'HIGH STAKES!!!'
North Wales Chronicle
14 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Bioethanol plant deems lack of Government support an ‘act of economic self-harm'
Vivergo Fuels, near Hull, warned earlier this year that it was in imminent danger of closure as crisis talks continued with the Government. This followed the end of the 19% tariff on American bioethanol imports as part of the recent UK-US trade deal. On Friday, the Government said: 'This Government will always take decisions in the national interest. 'That's why we negotiated a landmark deal with the US which protected hundreds of thousands of jobs in sectors like auto and aerospace. 'We have worked closely with the companies since June to understand the financial challenges they have faced over the past decade, and have taken the difficult decision not to offer direct funding as it would not provide value for the taxpayer or solve the long-term problems the industry faces. 'We recognise this is a difficult time for the workers and their families and we will work with trade unions, local partners and the companies to support them through this process. 'We also continue to work up proposals that ensure the resilience of our CO2 supply in the long-term in consultation with the sector.' Ben Hackett, managing director of Vivergo Fuels, said: 'The Government's failure to back Vivergo has forced us to cease operations and move to closure immediately. 'This is a flagrant act of economic self-harm that will have far-reaching consequences. 'This is a massive blow to Hull and the Humber. 'We have fought from day one to support our workers and we are truly sorry that this is not the outcome any of us wanted. 'This decision by ministers will have a huge impact on our region and the thousands of livelihoods in the supply chain that rely on Vivergo, from farmers to hauliers and engineers.' Mr Hackett said the industry has faced 'unfair regulations' for years that favoured overseas producers, and the recent US-UK trade deal pushed the sector 'to the point of collapse'. He said: 'We did everything we possibly could to avoid closure, but in the end it was the Government that decided the British bioethanol sector was something that could be traded away with little regard for the impact it would have on ordinary hard-working people. 'We did not go down without a fight and I hope that the noise we generated over the past three months will make the Government think twice before it decides to sign away whole industries as part of future trade negotiations.' A spokesman for Associated British Foods, which owns Vivergo, said: 'It is deeply regrettable that the Government has chosen not to support a key national asset. 'We have been left with no choice but to announce the closure of Vivergo and we have informed our people. 'We have been fighting for months to keep this plant open. 'We initiated and led talks with Government in good faith. We presented a clear plan to restore Vivergo to profitability within two years under policy levers already aligned with the Government's own green industrial strategy.' The spokesman said the Government had 'thrown away billions in potential growth in the Humber and a sovereign capability in clean fuels that had the chance to lead the world'. The bioethanol industry, which also includes the Ensus plant on Teesside, has argued the trade deal, coupled with regulatory constraints, has made it impossible to compete with heavily subsidised American products. Vivergo said the Hull plant, which employs about 160 people, can produce up to 420 million litres of bioethanol from wheat sourced from thousands of UK farms. It has described bioethanol production as 'a key national strategic asset' which helps reduce emissions from petrol and is expected to be a key component in sustainable aircraft fuel in the future. The firm recently signed a £1.25 billion memorandum of understanding with Meld Energy to anchor a 'world-class' sustainable aviation fuel facility at the site. But Meld Energy said earlier this month uncertainly over the bioethanol industry was putting this plan in jeopardy. The Vivergo plant is also the UK's largest single production site for animal feed, and the company says it indirectly supports about 4,000 jobs in the Humber and Lincolnshire region. Vivergo has said it buys more than a million tonnes of British wheat each year from more than 4,000 farms, and has purchased from 12,000 individual farms over the past decade. But it took its last wheat shipment earlier this month. The farmers' union described the imminent closure of the Vivergo plant as a 'huge blow'. NFU combinable crops board chairman Jamie Burrows said: 'Not only is it terrible news for those hundreds of workers who will lose their jobs but also for the thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on this supply chain – that includes local farmers who have lost a vital market for their product.' The Ensus plant in Teesside differs from the Vivergo operation because it also produces CO2 as part of the process. Ensus, which is owned by CropEnergies, part of the German firm Sudzucker, is the UK's only large scale manufacturer of CO2, which is used in a wide range of sectors, including in drinks and the nuclear industry. Grant Pearson, chairman of Ensus UK, said on Friday: 'I met with Sarah Jones, the minister for business, today, to receive the Government's response to our request for financial support and the policy changes required to ensure that the Ensus facilities can continue to operate. 'The minister confirmed that they value both our contribution to the UK economy, the jobs we provide and support in the north east of England and in particular our production of biogenic CO2 which is a product of critical national importance. 'They are therefore looking at options to secure an ongoing supply of CO2 from the Ensus facility. 'This is positive news, however it is likely to take time to agree upon and finalise and therefore urgent discussions will be taking place to provide a level of assurance to the Sudzucker and CropEnergies' boards that there is a very high level of confidence that an acceptable long-term arrangement can be reached.'
