Neo-liberalism

Western Europe records hottest-ever June as heatwaves intensify

Spread the love

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/09/western-europe-records-hottest-ever-june-as-heatwaves-intensify

Cows lie in a dry field near Bedarieux, southern France. Photograph: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images

Temperatures across ravaged region 3C above average as scientists warn of risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructure

Western Europe has been scorched by its hottest June on record, scientists have said, as the UK enters its third heatwave of the year and wildfires ravage France and Spain.

Inflamed by carbon pollution, the deadly June heatwave helped push surface air temperatures for the region 3.06C above their average from recent decades, according to the EU’s Copernicus climate monitoring service.

Globally, June 2026 was 0.56C hotter than the 1991-2020 average and 1.39C hotter than preindustrial levels, making it the second-warmest June on record, the agency found. The planet’s oceans were hotter than scientists had ever seen them.

“Together, these records reflect a climate system continuing to accumulate heat,” said Samantha Burgess, a climate scientist at Copernicus. “The result is increasingly intense heatwaves, a persistently warm ocean, and growing risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructure.”

…

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/09/western-europe-records-hottest-ever-june-as-heatwaves-intensify

Donald Trump urges you to be a Climate Science denier like him. He says that he makes millions and millions for destroying the planet, Burn, Baby, Burn and Flood, Baby, Flood.
Donald Trump urges you to be a Climate Science denier like him. He says that he makes millions and millions for destroying the planet, Burn, Baby, Burn and Flood, Baby, Flood.
Nigel Farage urges you to ignore facts and reality and be a climate science denier like him and his Deputy Richard Tice. He says that Reform UK has received £Millions and £Millions from the fossil fuel industry to promote climate denial and destroy the planet.
Nigel Farage urges you to ignore facts and reality and be a climate science denier like him and his Deputy Richard Tice. He says that Reform UK has received £Millions and £Millions from the fossil fuel industry to promote climate denial and destroy the planet.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Continue ReadingWestern Europe records hottest-ever June as heatwaves intensify

Andy Burnham’s statement on Gaza

Spread the love

Andy Burnham’s statement on Gaza. He refers to and apologises for the Labour party’s initial response which I think is a reference to Keir Starmer saying that Israel does have the right to withhold power and water from Gaza. There can be no argument with that, Starmer was wrong to support collective punishment. There’s a reference to bombs and bullets while there is plenty of other support for Israel’s genocide from UK. Is it correct that no UK bombs and bullets are reaching Israel? Burnham’s statement is measured, we’ll have to see what happens.

8.10p.m. 20 minutes or so later. I would expect that this blog has had a big effect on making Starmer and the Labour party unpopular through relentlessly attacking Starmer & Co, Labour actions and policies. I have a real hatred of the UK Labour party from the Blair era when they were attacking me while hiding and intend to continue. Burnham may have it easier, I don’t particularly have any issues with him. We’ll see.

Continue ReadingAndy Burnham’s statement on Gaza

Amnesty International calls for investigation into Israeli air strikes on Lebanon as ‘war crimes’

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

The aftermath of Israeli airstrikes revealed in the Dahieh district of southern Beirut, Lebanon, on March 07, 2026. [Houssam Shbaro – Anadolu Agency]

Amnesty International on Thursday called for an investigation into three Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon carried out in March, saying they may amount to war crimes after killing 24 civilians.

In a report published on Thursday, the rights group said the three Israeli strikes “killed 24 civilians, including 12 children, and wiped-out entire families”, adding that they “must be investigated as war crimes”.

The strikes targeted homes in the cities of Tyre and Nabatieh, as well as the town of Erkay near Sidon, between 6th and 13th March.   

Kristine Beckerle, the organisation’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: “Within the space of just a week – the Israeli military obliterated entire families, including a dozen children, in Lebanon, demonstrating a callous disregard for civilian lives.

As part of its investigation, Amnesty International interviewed 15 people, including survivors, relatives of victims, paramedics, journalists who visited the strike sites and local officials.

The organisation said the evidence it gathered provided “reasonable basis to conclude that “Israeli forces violated international humanitarian law, including by failing to distinguish between civilians and military objectives, by carrying out attacks directed against civilians or civilian objects, or by failing to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians.”

READ: Hezbollah leader rejects Lebanon-Israel Framework Agreement, says ‘not a single clause will pass’

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ... unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone … unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingAmnesty International calls for investigation into Israeli air strikes on Lebanon as ‘war crimes’

Former Pakistani Air Force official says Israel does not want US-Iran agreement to succeed

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

In this photo illustration, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are seen behind the Iranian flag, with all of them displayed on screens, in Ankara, Turkiye on June 24, 2025. [Dilara İrem Sancar – Anadolu Agency]

A former deputy chief of the Pakistan Air Force, Muhammad Aryan, has said the success of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran will depend primarily on the willingness of both governments to fully implement its provisions.

Speaking in an interview on Egypt’s Cairo News Channel, Aryan said Pakistan continues to support diplomatic engagement with both Washington and Tehran but stressed that responsibility for resolving the dispute ultimately rests with the two sides.

He argued that military action cannot resolve the crisis, saying previous US strikes against Iran had failed to produce a lasting solution.

Aryan also suggested that statements by US President Donald Trump should be viewed cautiously, arguing that the president’s positions can shift rapidly in response to changing political circumstances.

READ: Vice president says US will respond if Iran attacks shipping in Strait of Hormuz

He said that even if Trump were to declare the memorandum of understanding no longer valid, such a position could change quickly and might be intended as leverage during negotiations. At the same time, he said Iran could either maintain its current demands or choose to make concessions during future talks.

Aryan emphasized that continued negotiations remain the only viable path to resolving the dispute and called for the full implementation of the memorandum of understanding through diplomacy.

He added that the crisis extends beyond the United States and Iran, arguing that other regional actors have an interest in preventing the agreement from succeeding.

According to Aryan, those actors should be closely monitored, specifically mentioning Israel as a country whose strategic interests could influence the course of the negotiations.

His remarks reflect his personal assessment of the regional situation and do not represent an official position of the Pakistani government.

OPINION: Deferring a Crisis: The Iran-US Ceasefire Cracks

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ... unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone … unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingFormer Pakistani Air Force official says Israel does not want US-Iran agreement to succeed

Hezbollah leader rejects Lebanon-Israel Framework Agreement, says ‘not a single clause will pass’

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

A screen grab from a video shows Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem in Beirut, Lebanon on October 30, 2024. [Stringer – Anadolu Agency]

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Wednesday rejected the framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel, declaring that it would not be implemented and urging the Lebanese government to abandon it.

Speaking during a public address held alongside memorial events for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Qassem argued that the agreement serves Israeli interests and lacks legal and national legitimacy.

“Not a single clause of this agreement will pass, and you will be powerless to stop it,” Qassem said, addressing Lebanese authorities.

He credited Hezbollah’s military resilience and Iran’s support with securing the ceasefire in Lebanon, describing them as the two pillars behind what he called the resistance’s achievements.

Qassem also reaffirmed Hezbollah’s strategic relationship with Iran, saying the partnership strengthens Lebanon, while sharply criticising the United States. He accused Washington of exercising undue influence over Lebanon and claimed that US policies primarily serve Israeli interests.

READ: Lebanon conditions participation in Rome talks on Israeli withdrawal from two areas in the south

Turning to the framework agreement, Qassem argued that it was negotiated in Israel’s favour and accused the United States of facilitating its terms. He criticised the document’s reported use of the term “redeployment” rather than “withdrawal,” claiming it implied continued Israeli control over parts of Lebanese territory.

Qassem also cited continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon, referring to what he described as hundreds of ceasefire violations, including a recent strike in Nabatieh that reportedly killed a school principal, her mother and two employees traveling in a civilian vehicle.

He called on the Lebanese government to withdraw from the agreement, arguing that abandoning it would help preserve national unity rather than deepen political divisions.

“The framework agreement is entirely in Israel’s interest,” he said. “Throw it away and discard it.”

His remarks come as debate continues within Lebanon over the framework agreement and its implications for the country’s security, sovereignty and future relations with Israel.

OPINION: Lebanon’s Faustian bargain: The mirage of the trilateral framework

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying only 9 days ago that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying only 9 days ago that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingHezbollah leader rejects Lebanon-Israel Framework Agreement, says ‘not a single clause will pass’