U2 guitarist The Edge hails ‘monumental day' as he becomes Irish citizen
U2 is also noted for speaking out with songs such as Sunday Bloody Sunday about the shooting of unarmed protesters in Londonderry in 1972 by British soldiers, New Year's Day which became associated with the Polish Solidarity movement and Pride (In The Name Of Love) in tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.
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Scotsman
28 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Donald Trump's bombing of Iran's nuclear sites risks Middle East conflict escalating out of control
Donald Trump's decision to bomb Iran's nuclear installations has increased the prospect of the Middle East conflict escalating out of control. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Despite his declared ambition to be remembered as a "peacemaker and unifier" and his insistence he does not want America to be embroiled in foreign wars, the US president succumbed to the persuasion of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and launched the unprecedented attack on Iran in a bid to destroy its potential to build nuclear weapons. No-one yet knows whether President Trump's claim to have "completely and totally obliterated" the sites at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz is correct. US President Donald Trump addresses the nation, flanked by vice president JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Picture: Carlos Barria/ AFP via Getty Images | POOL/AFP via Getty Images Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But following the attacks by B2 stealth bombers dropping 'bunker-buster' bombs, retaliation by the Iranian regime is inevitable - possibly targeting US bases in the region or closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea passage which one-fifth of the world's oil exports are shipped through. There are fears that could lead to oil price rises and a global recession. It's not clear that President Trump has public support for his action. A Washington Post poll ahead of the bombing found 45 per cent opposed military strikes, with 25 per cent in support - in marked contrast with the strong public backing for America's previous foreign military adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan. The UK was not involved in the US action - the Americans chose to fly the mission from their base in Guam rather than ask to use the British base in Diego Garcia. But Britain and other western countries are nevertheless US allies and could also be targeted in the retaliation. United Nations secretary general, António Guterres has described the US attack as a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to international peace and security, saying it was crucial to avoid a "spiral of chaos". He said: "There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control, with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region and the world." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And meanwhile the terrible suffering of the people of Gaza at the hands of the Israeli regime continues. Donald Trump may see the US operation against Iran as 'one and done' but history suggests conflicts in the Middle East usually have widespread repercussions and long-lasting consequences. The world waits anxiously.
Rhyl Journal
3 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Labour MP warns proscribing Palestine Action would be ‘kneejerk reaction'
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has unveiled plans to proscribe the organisation, which armed forces minister Luke Pollard described as 'not a protest group'. Counter-terror police are investigating the break-in last Friday, when activists damaged two RAF Voyager aircraft using paint. Palestine Action claimed responsibility for the incident, and the organisation posted footage from the Oxfordshire base on its X account, claiming that the planes help to 'collect intelligence, refuel fighter jets and transport weapons to commit genocide in Gaza'. Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside Kim Johnson told the Commons that she was 'concerned by the Government's kneejerk reaction to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation'. She told MPs: 'This country has a long history of protests, as I mentioned in this chamber last week, some on British military sites, and none have been branded as terrorists.' Ms Johnson added that authorities could pursue those responsible for 'criminal damage, but not as a terrorist', and asked: 'Can the minister set out what steps his department will take to ensure peaceful protest activity is not wrongly categorised as a national security threat?' Mr Pollard replied: 'The proscription of Palestine Action has been something that has been considered over a long period of time by my colleagues in the Home Office. 'It is a decision that they have taken after considering the facts, those in the public domain and those perhaps held privately, and we are certain that this is the right course of action to keep our country safe in these difficult times.' Liz Saville Roberts, Plaid Cymru's Westminster leader, said: 'Direct action at military bases is nothing new. We remember with respect the women who marched from Wales to Greenham Common, and the thousands of women who joined them. 'They didn't just march, they pulled down fences. They criminally damaged infrastructure. 'So, does the minister recognise the risk implicit in proscribing protest groups calling out war as terrorist organisations?' Ms Saville Roberts was referring to a demonstration between 1981 and 2000, when anti-nuclear weapons protesters set up the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp. Mr Pollard replied: 'They're not a protest group. They are people that have undertaken severe criminal damage to military assets. They're people who are increasingly using violence as part of their modus operandi. 'The decision that the Home Secretary has taken has not been taken lightly and reflects the seriousness of the intent of that organisation. 'I welcome free speech, I welcome debate and challenge, but vandalising RAF jets is not free speech – that is criminal damage, that is interventions on a military base, that is – as I say in my statement – not only epically stupid but also a threat to our national security and the Home Secretary was right to proscribe them.' In his statement, Mr Pollard had earlier told MPs that personnel at Brize Norton 'work tirelessly to support our armed forces deployed across the world to deliver military assistance to Ukraine, and they have been formally recognised for their contribution in flying humanitarian aid into Gaza, so this action does nothing to further the path to peace'. Sir Julian Lewis, the Conservative MP for New Forest East, warned that 'it would do the country and the Government no favours if they were to lose in court a challenge to the process of proscription, because whereas the secret sabotage of planes would certainly have been an act of terrorism leading to proscription, the fact is, this was a performative act which they announced they had done'. MPs will have a 'full debate' in Parliament as part of the proscription process, Mr Pollard pledged in response, as he said the bid to proscribe Palestine Action was put together after 'considerable thought'. MPs also heard that the 'fence is not formidable' at Brize Norton, after Liberal Democrat MP for Witney Charlie Maynard told the Commons that 'security at the base has been really underinvested for a long time'. Mr Maynard said he had walked around the base's perimeter in his constituency 'quite a few times'. Mr Pollard said the Government's response had already 'helped identify a number of immediate steps' to bolster security at the site. The minister added: 'He is right that much of our armed forces estate and our armed forces have been hollowed out and underfunded for far too long. 'It's precisely for that reason that I welcome the increase in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027. 'Our armed forces are brilliant but it's time they had first-class facilities.'
South Wales Guardian
4 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
British nationals evacuated from Israel as Iran conflict continues
David Lammy told the Commons that an RAF A400 had taken the group of British nationals to Cyprus on Monday, from where they will be taken to the UK, adding that more flights will follow. He also confirmed that one British national in Israel had been injured during Iranian missile attacks and had been offered consular support. Downing Street said 'around 1,000' people had requested a seat on an evacuation flight – a quarter of the 4,000 who had registered their presence in Israel or Palestine with the Foreign Office. In his statement to the Commons, Mr Lammy repeated his plea to Iran to return to the negotiating table following America's strikes on its nuclear programme. He said: 'My message for Tehran was clear, take the off ramp, dial this thing down, and negotiate with the United States seriously and immediately. 'The alternative is an even more destructive and far-reaching conflict, which could have unpredictable consequences.' He had previously urged Tehran to engage in negotiations, saying US President Donald Trump's apparent decision last week to delay US military action offered a two-week window for a diplomatic solution. On Monday, he said: 'We can and we must find a negotiated solution. The window has narrowed, but the risks of further escalation are so great and the costs so considerable for Britain and all in the region, that this is the Government's priority.' Mr Lammy's statement came after an air raid by American B-2 stealth bombers and a salvo of submarine-launched missiles hit Iran's nuclear facilities on Saturday night. The Foreign Secretary told MPs it was not yet clear how far the attack had set back Iran's nuclear ambitions, but said the need for a diplomatic solution remained. He added: 'Strikes cannot destroy the knowledge Iran has acquired over several decades, nor any regime ambition to deploy that knowledge to build a nuclear weapon.' Mr Lammy also told MPs that the Government has withdrawn staff from its embassy in Iran, telling the Commons it is operating 'remotely'. Pleased to announce our first Royal Air Force A-400 has flown into Tel Aviv and is helping to take 63 British nationals and their dependants home. The safety of British Nationals is our top priority. Register your presence for updates on future flights: — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) June 23, 2025 The Foreign Secretary also continued to face questions on the legality of the US strikes, but said it 'must rightly be a matter for the US government in relation to their action' and added: 'This was not our action. We have been clear that we were not involved.' Earlier, Downing Street had said that preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear bomb was a 'good thing' for the UK, but declined to comment on whether the US strikes complied with international law. It came as Qatar shut its air space temporarily on Monday to ensure the safety of citizens, residents and visitors. Dr Majed Al Ansari, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a post on X: 'The competent Qatari authorities announce the temporary suspension of air traffic in the country's airspace, in order to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors.' The Foreign Office advised British nationals in Qatar to 'shelter in place' after a US security alert. #Qatar Following a US security alert for US nationals in Qatar, out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that British nationals in Qatar shelter in place until further notice: — FCDO Travel Advice (@FCDOtravelGovUK) June 23, 2025 The UAE has also closed its air space, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24. Meanwhile, Israeli jets hit targets in Tehran on Monday including the security headquarters of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and Evin Prison, the regime's main site for detaining political prisoners and human rights activists. In turn, Iran carried out its own strikes against cities in Israel, and sparked fears of a wider regional conflict as it accused the US of crossing 'a very big red line'. Meanwhile, oil prices reached their highest level for nearly six months over fears a regional conflict could restrict supply, especially if Iran decided to blockade the Strait of Hormuz. The jump in prices prompted Mr Trump to post on his Truth Social platform: 'EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING! YOU'RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON'T DO IT!' Mr Lammy told MPs the Government was 'closely monitoring' the energy markets and urged Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, saying a blockade would be 'a monumental act of economic self-harm' and make reaching a diplomatic solution even harder.
