All hail Emperor Trump
Wielding the 'bully-boy' threat of trade tariffs, the President is enjoying unprecedented influence. But should European leaders learn from the more combative approaches taken by Canada and France?
Megan Gibson joins Tom McTague on the New Statesman podcast.
[See also: Can Starmer and Trump come to an agreement on Gaza?]
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Telegraph
36 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Peaceful ‘pink protest' outside migrant hotel hijacked by masked men
Violent masked men have hijacked a peaceful protest outside a migrant hotel in which women in pink danced a conga. More than 100 demonstrators gathered on Sunday outside the Britannia Hotel in London's Canary Wharf to oppose the use of the four-star accommodation to house asylum seekers. Video showed female protesters dressed in pink performing a cheerful conga as they waved England flags. But the demonstration was soon taken over by a gang of masked men who swarmed the crowd, set off smoke bombs and tried to charge the fence surrounding the hotel before arrests were made. They were also heard chanting 'Keir Starmer's a w----r'. Sunday's protest was the latest in a series of demonstrations over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, including protests and counter-protests outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington on Saturday which led to clashes with police. Smiling as they sang, the conga demonstrators held a banner which said: 'Protecting women and children. It's not far right, it's just right.' One of the protesters was dressed in a T-shirt that depicted the Prime Minister as 'Keir Stalin', with a hammer and sickle, the communist symbol. Lisa, one of the protesters who was dressed in pink, said the protest had been organised by the local community to 'protect our women and kids'. 'We don't want sexual assaults, rapes and robberies in our community. We need proper detention centres and to deport them,' she said. Arrests and chants of 'send them home' Another demonstrator, Kelly, said the reason for dressing in pink was to send a message about 'women and unity'. But then chants of 'send them home' broke out while one man rattled the metal fence outside the hotel in full view of police officers. Tourists, shoppers and guests at a nearby hotel stopped to take pictures of the demonstration. Protesters jeered at people going in and out of the hotel, while at least one man was detained after an angry confrontation with officers. Onlookers chanted 'shame' as he was carried away. Tower Hamlets council was recently informed by the Home Office that it intended to use the hotel to house asylum seekers. In the early hours of Saturday morning, a coachload of men entered the Britannia Hotel, but it is unclear if they were migrants. On Sunday, a food delivery believed to be from Nando's was made to the hotel, which led to a number of boos from protesters. The Home Office would not confirm the identity of the men on the coach, but said in a statement: 'Since this Government took office, we have taken immediate action to fix the asylum system, removing more than 35,000 people with no right to be here in our first year.' Hotel protests spreading On Saturday, the Metropolitan Police made nine arrests after rival groups gathered outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington, north London. A protest and counter-protest also took place in Newcastle city centre outside the New Bridge Hotel and four people were arrested on suspicion of public order offences, Northumbria Police said. Scotland Yard said plans were in place to 'respond to any protest activity in the vicinity of other hotels in London being used to accommodate asylum seekers'. Elsewhere, Essex Police placed a number of restrictions on a planned protest in Epping on Sunday evening. The force ordered that the demonstration should finish by 8.30pm and must take place in designated areas outside the Bell Hotel, which has been the focus of a series of protests over the last few weeks. Police have also banned face coverings until 3am on Monday and have the power to direct anyone committing or suspected of committing anti-social behaviour to leave the area until 8am on Monday.
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Anti-migrant mob surround Uber Eats rider to stop delivery to Canary Wharf hotel
A takeaway delivery driver was forced to cancel an order for refugees living behind a police barricade after a booing mob surrounded him. The Uber Eats rider was given a police escort to try and get to through the protesters guarding the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf on Sunday evening. But the baying mob stood in his way and he was forced to turn back with the Five Guys order under police protection as the anti-migrant protesters chanted 'scum' and 'go away'. It came after a flash mob of young men in balaclavas descended on the protest at migrants living in the 4-star hotel. Setting off red and white flares and chanting 'England' and 'Keir Starmer is a w****' repeatedly, the group struggled to break through police lines to join the other peaceful protesters, including local mothers and children listening to God Save The Queen on boomboxes. Chants of 'send them home' broke out while one man rattled the metal fence outside the hotel in full view of police officers. One guest at the hotel could be seen in a facemask sitting on the front steps staring at the angry mob on the other side of a chain link fence. A group of women, all dressed in pink, adopted a Just Stop Oil-like sit-in protest in the road outside the hotel. Protesters booed others going in and out of the building as eggs were reportedly dropped from surrounding towers on them forcing the group to briefly flee. At least one man was detained after an angry confrontation with officers. Onlookers chanted 'shame' as he was carried away. It is the latest in a series of demonstrations over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers. On Saturday, the Metropolitan Police made nine arrests after rival groups gathered outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington, north London. A protest and counter-protest also took place in Newcastle outside the New Bridge Hotel and four people were arrested on suspicion of public order offences, Northumbria Police said. More Trending Scotland Yard said plans were in place to 'respond to any protest activity in the vicinity of other hotels in London being used to accommodate asylum seekers'. Elsewhere, Essex Police placed a number of restrictions on a planned protest in Epping on Sunday evening. The force ordered that the demonstration should finish by 8.30pm and must take place in designated areas outside the Bell Hotel, which has been the focus of a series of protests over the last few weeks. Police have also placed requirements on the removal of face coverings until 3am on Monday and have the power to direct anyone committing or suspected of committing anti-social behaviour to leave the area until 8am on Monday.
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
The estate that could solve Scotland's problem with trees
The forests offer much needed shade in Greece and also allow a variety of species an environment where they can thrive. Here in Scotland it may feel like there are trees everywhere, but the exact opposite is true as it is one of the least forested countries on the planet. Just drive a small distance outside of the main population centres and you will be met with miles upon miles of bleak nothingness, apart from areas that are farmland. It comes as tree planting is seen as a key tranche in achieving net zero and with a projected housebuilding timber shortage on the horizon. But Scotland's forestry industry is facing a funding black hole of £24 million and national planting targets will not be met now for at least two years. A massive budget cut has knocked the forestry industry's confidence, potentially stalling planting projects and leading to trees being destroyed. Confor, the Confederation of Forest Industries representative body, signalled a wave of concern along the supply chain from tree nurseries to sawmills and wood-panel manufacturers. Scotland has consistently failed to meet its tree planting targets, aiming to plant amounts rising from 15,000 hectares, or 30 million trees, to now 18,000 ha each year, but the industry has faced harsh funding cuts. Rural Scots are right - maybe it is time to halt onshore windfarms Trump is right for once, it is time to drill, baby drill in the North Sea It is high time that irresponsible campervan users are taxed off the NC500 We're going to need a smaller boat: The large ferry dilemma for CalMac A 41% budget cut in 2023 was only partially restored last year by around 18% to £45m. Edinburgh-based Confor said a further £24m is needed for the target mathematics to work, but that low confidence is likely to impact new projects being brought forward. However, a 10,000-acre estate in the Highlands is a great example of what can be achieved with the proper ambition. Dundreggan rewilding centre in Glenmoriston has just been awarded special European status recognising its genetic diversity of tree species. Parts of the juniper and silver birch woodland at Trees for Life's site have been classed as Gene Conservation Units. A spokesperson for the conservation charity said the 'unusually wet location' of juniper and the 'extreme westerly location' of silver birch have helped make the tree populations unique. The classification has been awarded by the European Forest Genetic Resources Network (EUFORGEN) which is managed in the UK by nature agency Forest Research. The estate uses a 'dynamic conservation' technique to protect the trees' genetic diversity. The land is encouraged to regenerate naturally within its specific environment and weather conditions. Juniper is a slow-growing evergreen shrub or small tree, with small blue-green needles and berries that ripen to a dark, blue-purple colour. The species support biodiversity by providing shelter and food for wildlife. Juniper berries are also used to produce gin. Silver birch is a fast-growing species which spreads over open ground. The tree's roots draw up nutrients, and its leaves add richness to soil. The Gene Conservation Unit status means Dundreggan's juniper and silver birch will be monitored to ensure their survival and natural regeneration. The estate covers 10,000 acres and has so many rare species living within it that environmentalists have described it as a 'lost world'. Conservation charity Trees for Life bought the site for £1.65million which remains one of the UK's largest ever areas of land bought for forest regeneration. The former hunting estate was already home to ancient forest fragments, including outstanding areas of juniper and dwarf birch. The charity has since planted half a million trees at the site, ensuring natural regeneration of woodlands and encouraging the return of rare wildlife, plants and insects. A rare non-biting midge and several other species have since been discovered after surveys of the estate. In total, more than 3,300 species have now been recorded at the charity's forest restoration site with at least 68 of these are priority species for conservation. These include unusual species such as the strawberry spider with several never having been recorded in the UK before, or were feared extinct in Scotland. While it is relatively small in the grand scheme of things, it should be an inspiration for other land owners when it comes to rewilding land and planting forests. Scotland needs more native trees and it is baffling why such a large proportion of the country is entirely treeless. The timber industry is worth around £1billion a year to the economy but even commercial plantations barely scratch the surface of what is required. It is all well and good for ministers to set tree planting targets, but without proper funding these will never be met. Ministers should see what has been done elsewhere and replicate it at pace.
