The unbearable self-indulgence of Europe
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The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Scottish Government panned for lack of Israel-linked arms firm checks
A Freedom of Information request has revealed that two major arms companies in receipt of Scottish Enterprise grants – Italian arms giant Leonardo and American multinational Raytheon Systems – haven't received a human right due diligence check since October 2019 This funding comes despite both firms continue to supply Israel with weapons amid its genocide in Gaza. In that timeframe, both firms have also been in receipt of Scottish public money – Leonardo received £786,125 in 2023 while Raytheon Systems, which has a factory in Glenrothes, was given £500k in the first half of 2024. Leonardo produces laser targeting systems for Lockheed Martin, which sells the F-35 jets Israel, and Raytheon makes Paveway II guided missiles which are also used by Israel. READ MORE: JD Vance panned for 'lies about Scotland' ahead of luxury Ayrshire holiday The last time a check was performed on French arms firm Thales was July 2021, while Babcock was last checked in March 2022 and Chemring Energetics in December 2021. Bae Systems received a check in February 2024. In response, human rights charity Amnesty International told The National that the 'more we learn' about the checks 'the more concerning it becomes' that Scottish Enterprise and Scottish ministers are defending the process. Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater, meanwhile, said it was 'shocking', adding: 'There is no point in having human rights checks at all if they are never carried out.' In total, Scottish Enterprise has given £8 million to 13 companies involved in weapons manufacturing since 2019. The Scottish Government has repeatedly insisted that no public funding goes towards the manufacturing of munitions specifically but other areas these companies operate in, including research, training and apprenticeships. Scottish Enterprise, meanwhile, has strongly denied its human rights checks are not adequate. However, that has been called into question given that, of the 199 human rights checks between 2021 and 2023, no firm has ever failed. When pressed on the issue in an exclusive interview with The National last weekend, First Minister John Swinney defended the grants. 'We won't support the production of munitions. That's our hard line. And we get criticised for taking that hard line, and I'm very confident that hard line is applied,' he said. The First Minister was then pressed on the argument that any funding – even if ring-fenced by the Scottish Government – will directly help a company's cash flow and could, hypothetically, free up money to be used elsewhere, including in the building of munitions. 'I understand that point. But there are also defence requirements of Scotland. Scotland is part of an island nation. We require, for example, shipbuilding resources to support the maritime defense of the United Kingdom because nobody wants to see us vulnerable to an attack from Russia. I certainly don't want to,' he responded. An Amnesty International spokesperson said: "Amnesty is aware from our own research that payments were made to companies known to supply Israel without a new check being triggered by the unfolding genocide in Gaza. 'Alarmingly, that is the process Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government attempted to characterise as robust and well aligned to international standards. The recent in-house review of the human rights checks recommended some improvements, but unsurprisingly they don't go far enough. We will be meeting with Scottish Enterprise in the coming weeks to take these concerns forward." Slater, meanwhile, said it 'flies in the face of any kind of due diligence'. "These are some of the biggest arms companies in the world. They have armed human rights abusers and dictatorships and some have directly enabled and profited from the genocide in Gaza,' she said. "They should not be receiving public money in the first place, and the Scottish Government absolutely should not be setting up tests to win favourable headlines while refusing to actually implement them. "How can we trust a word they say on ensuring they are applying human rights standards when they are refusing to even ask the right questions of those they are giving public money to?" Scottish Enterprise has been approached for comment.
Metro
a day ago
- Metro
Another huge US star reveals exit plans from US after Donald Trump's warning
Jimmy Kimmel has joined a string of celebrities who have obtained citizenship to other countries over growing fears concerning President Donald Trump's leadership. Comedians Rosie O'Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres were among those fleeing the US after the 79-year-old returned to the White House for a second term at the beginning of the year. In a new interview, the Jimmy Kimmel Live presenter explained things are 'so much worse' in the country than people initially thought they would be, and revealed that he sought citizenship in Europe. During an appearance on the Sarah Silverman Podcast, the host said: 'A lot of people I know are thinking about where they can get citizenship.' 'I did get Italian citizenship,' he replied. 'What's going on [with Trump] is as bad as you thought it was going to be.' 'It's so much worse. It's just unbelievable. I feel like it's probably even worse than he would like it to be.' Kimmel's comments come after Trump suggested he could lose his job in a gloating post on social media, following the news that TV legend Stephen Colbert's show was coming to an end. 'I absolutely love that Colbert got fired,' he posted on Truth Social last month. 'His talent was even less than his ratings. 'I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!' In a press conference last week, he doubled down on the claims, warning: 'Fallon has no talent. Kimmel has no talent. They're next. 'They're going to be going. I hear they're going to be going.' Kimmel has been a staple of our screens for decades, having helmed his own late night show since 2003 – he also hosted the Oscars and Emmy Awards multiple times, and voices characters in the Paw Patrol movie and Boss Baby over the years. Despite Trump's recent comments, he insisted that he has no ill will to any supporters who may now be regretting their vote. 'I think the door needs to stay open,' he demanded. 'If you want to change your mind, that's so hard to do. 'If you want to admit you were wrong, that's so hard and so rare to do. You are welcome.' A number of stars have decided to leave America following the recent election, after Trump beat Kamala Harris to return to power for a second time. Ellen and her wife, Portia de Rossi, swapped the US for a quieter life in the Cotswolds while Rosie – who has had a long-running feud with the politician – headed to Ireland. More Trending She was joined by her child, who is non-binary and goes by Clay, and shared that she needed to make the move for her family, and her 'own sanity'. Shedding light on the move while appearing on the Late Late Show, she said: 'The President of the United States has it out for me and has for 20 years, when I told the truth about him on a program called The View – where it was my job to talk about pop culture, politics… 'I mentioned his bankruptcies, I mentioned all of the sexual assault charges and I mentioned that he was not, in fact, the businessman that everyone thinks he is because of the show, The Apprentice, where they sold a bunch of lies to America for over 10 years, and half of America believed it. View More » 'He was very angry to say the least, and he hasn't let it go. And he uses me as a punchline whenever he feels the need.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Trump should give Putin a gift in Alaska – then an order MORE: Trump 'only wants to secure Nobel Peace Prize with Russia-Ukraine negotiations' MORE: Rap icon cancels gig one hour before performance after 'unforeseen illness'
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Jimmy Kimmel says second Trump term ‘so much worse' as he reveals Italian citizenship
Jimmy Kimmel revealed he has obtained Italian citizenship as he lamented Donald Trump's second term in office. The talk show host, 57, has been a longtime critic of the president. Kimmel was appearing on his ex-girlfriend Sarah Silverman's podcast when she observed that many Americans who don't approve of Trump have sought citizenship elsewhere. 'I do have... I did get Italian citizenship,' responded Kimmel. 'I do have that.' He continued: 'What's going on is... as bad as you thought it was gonna be, it's so much worse. It's just unbelievable. I feel like it's probably even worse than [Trump] would like it to be.' Jimmy Kimmel has spoke out, again, against President Donald Trump saying his second term 'so much worse' () Kimmel added that he has no ill will towards former Trump supporters who are reconsidering their position, saying: 'There are a lot of people... now you see these clips of Joe Rogan saying: 'Why's he doing this? He shouldn't be deporting people.' People go: 'F*** you, you supported him.' I don't buy into that. I don't believe 'F*** you, you supported him.' 'I think the door needs to stay open,' Kimmel said. 'If you want to change your mind, that's so hard to do. If you want to admit you were wrong, that's so hard and so rare to do. You are welcome.' In April, popular podcaster Rogan spoke out against Trump's deportation policies. He had previously endorsed the president hours prior to the last election. 'You've gotta get scared that people who are not criminals are getting, like, lassoed up and deported and sent to El Salvador prisons,' Rogan said. Rogan called that possibility 'horrific' and admitted sending non-criminals out of the country as part of the Trump administration's attempts to crack down on the Tren de Aragua gang was 'bad for the cause.' Trump has doubled down on his claim that Kimmel and fellow late night host Jimmy Fallon will be next in line to lose their jobs as networks begin to shy away from criticizing his administration. (AP) Last week, Trump doubled down on his claim that Kimmel and fellow late night host Jimmy Fallon will be next in line to lose their jobs as networks begin to shy away from criticizing his administration. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. With Paramount moving earlier this summer to cancel CBS's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , Trump was asked at a recent press conference about 'shock jock' Howard Stern's Sirius XM radio show reportedly being brought to an end and whether that meant anti-Trump comedy was facing extinction.'Well, it hasn't worked,' the president said. 'And it hasn't worked, really, for a long time, and I would say pretty much from the beginning. Colbert has no talent. 'I mean, I could take anybody here. I could go outside in the beautiful streets and pick a couple of people that do just as well or better. They'd get higher ratings than he did. He's got no talent. 'Fallon has no talent. Kimmel has no talent. They're next. They're going to be going. I hear they're going to be going. I don't know, but I would imagine because they'd get – you know, Colbert has better ratings than Kimmel or Fallon.'
