Scotland

Scottish lawmaker demands European sporting bodies ban Israel

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

A banner which reads 'Stop killing children - Stop killing civilians' is displayed as players of both side's line up prior to during the UEFA Super Cup 2025 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur at Stadio Friuli on August 13, 2025 in Udine, Italy. [Photo by Chris Ricco - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images]

A banner which reads ‘Stop killing children – Stop killing civilians’ is displayed as players of both side’s line up prior to during the UEFA Super Cup 2025 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur at Stadio Friuli on August 13, 2025 in Udine, Italy. [Photo by Chris Ricco – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images]

A Scottish lawmaker tabled a motion at parliament Thursday condemning Israel’s membership in European sporting associations, urging organizations to revoke its participation, Anadolu reports.

The motion, lodged at Holyrood by James Dornan, said Israel should not be permitted to compete under European banners as it is geographically situated in the Asian continent, not Europe.

It cited reported views that Israeli state policy is one of genocide against the people of Gaza. The motion views “the relentless and barbaric implementation of this policy are grounds for the rescinding of Israel’s membership from European sporting associations.”

Dornan’s motion urged European bodies such as the European football governing body (UEFA), the Federation of International Basketball Association Europe, the European Handball Association and the European Athletic Association to dispel Israel’s membership forthwith.

Last month, Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories, demanded UEFA expel Israel from competitions for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.

It was after UEFA’s farewell to former Palestinian footballer Suleiman al-Obeid, whom it called the “Palestinian Pele.”

The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza, killing at least 64,700 Palestinians since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

READ: Qatar says it began legal action against Israeli attack on Doha

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Continue ReadingScottish lawmaker demands European sporting bodies ban Israel

‘Something is going very wrong here in the UK’

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/something-going-very-wrong-here-uk

 Police officers detain a protester as demonstrators take part in a Lift the Ban on Palestine Action protest organised by Defend our Juries in Parliament Square in London, September 6, 2025

Campaigners urge new Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to drop ‘unenforceable’ ban on Palestine Action

NEW Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is facing growing pressure to scrap the “impossible to enforce” Palestine Action ban after nearly 900 people were arrested in London this weekend.

An estimated 1,500 took part in the 11-hour Lift The Ban rally in Parliament Square on Saturday, as they sat and held signs reading: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action,” with hundreds of others taking part in Scotland.

A human wall of trade unionists and anti-war activists surrounded sign-holders in the action and outside the Westminster government offices in Edinburgh in a “Witness Circle.”

A total of 890 people were arrested in London, with 857 arrests made for showing support for a proscribed group, while 33 people were arrested for allegedly assaulting police officers and other public order offences.

The Met Police condemned the “intolerable abuse” it claims its officers suffered during the protest

The protest saw officers drawing their batons, forcing their way through crowds, carrying arrested protesters — including one wheelchair-using veteran — and having screaming arguments with demonstrators.

One protester was seen with blood streaming down his face.

Organisers Defend Our Juries (DOJ) called on Ms Mahmood to drop the “unenforceable” ban.

A spokesperson said: “The fact that 857 out of 1,500 were arrested and that this took 11 hours, makes a mockery of the ban on Palestine Action and shows once again that it is impossible to enforce.

“Rather than arrest thousands more ordinary citizens … the new Home Secretary must rethink what is becoming Labour’s poll tax moment, which is making the UK the subject of condemnation and ridicule around the world.

“Regarding the Met’s false claims smearing the protesters, this is simply a desperate attempt to deflect from the embarrassment caused to Sir Mark Rowley after he pledged the Met would arrest every person who held [the signs].”

…

Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/something-going-very-wrong-here-uk

Palestine Action joke that appeared in the UK satirical magazine 'Private Eye'.
Palestine Action joke that appeared in the UK satirical magazine ‘Private Eye’.
Keir "I support Zionism without Qualification" Starmer supporting genocide.
Keir “I support Zionism without Qualification” Starmer supporting genocide.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Continue Reading‘Something is going very wrong here in the UK’

Morning Star Editorial: It is time for our government to finally sanction Israel

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This is only two small parts of the Morning Star editorial at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/it-time-our-government-finally-sanction-israel

 Israeli soldiers sit on the top of tank parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, August 18, 2025

THE call for sanctions against Israel becomes louder and louder each day. As we witness hourly reminders of Israel’s brutal occupation of Palestinian land and the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people, the letter from politicians in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is the latest in a long line of demands for the British government to step up to its responsibilities under international law.

While Keir Starmer and David Lammy may claim to disapprove of Israel’s genocidal suppression of the Palestinian people, even extending at times to strong criticism, if they actually wanted to see an end to Israeli action, they could take decisive steps to end British complicity in genocide and isolate Israel within the international community.

…

The British people are overwhelmingly opposed to the genocide taking place in Palestine, and for once, our government should seek to represent us on the international stage, be a voice for peace, joining South Africa and many other countries in their case at the International Court of Justice.

However, as we saw with decades of British government support for apartheid in South Africa, we cannot rely on politicians and the work to shift their support for repressive regimes must be carried out through mass pressure.

It is the job of the trade union movement, the peace and anti-war movement, and the progressive left to mobilise the British people on an increasing scale to oppose genocide and to defy the use of repressive legislation against those raising their voices.

Together, we must struggle to end our government’s complicity with genocide and in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/it-time-our-government-finally-sanction-israel

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel's Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don't do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Continue ReadingMorning Star Editorial: It is time for our government to finally sanction Israel

Analysis: Record UK wildfires have burned an area twice the size of Glasgow in 2025

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Original article by Orla Dwyer, Ho Woo Nam and Tom Prater republished from Carbon Brief under a CC license.

Wildfires have scorched more than 40,000 hectares of land so far this year across the UK – an area more than twice the size of the Scottish city of Glasgow.  

This is already a record amount of land burned in a single year, far exceeding the previous high, Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS) data shows. 

It is also almost four times the average area burned in wildfires by this stage of the year over 2012-24 – and 50% higher than the previous record amount burned by this time in 2019. 

The burned area overtook the previous annual record in April, BBC News reported at the time, and has continued to soar in the months since.

Major wildfires 

The chart below shows that UK wildfires in 2025 so far have already burned by far the largest area of land over any calendar year since GWIS records began in 2012. The previous record year was 2019, followed by 2022, while 2024 saw the lowest area size burned. 

Annual land area burned by wildfires across the UK from 2012 to 2025 (red), alongside the average area burned each year over 2012-24. Source: Global Wildfire Information System.

Climate change can increase the risk and impact of wildfires. Warmer temperatures and drought can leave land parched and dry out vegetation, which helps fires spread more rapidly. Climate change is making these types of extreme conditions more likely to occur, as well as more severe.  

Fire services in England and Wales responded to 564 wildfires from January to June 2025 – an increase from 69 fires in the same period last year, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said in a statement in June. 

Most wildfires in the UK are caused by human activity, whether accidental or deliberate, according to the NFCC. Some common ignition sources are disposable barbecues, lit cigarettes and campfires. 

Jessica Richter, a research analyst at Global Forest Watch, says that, while fires are also a key part of some ecosystems, climate change is the “major driver behind the increasing fire activity around the globe”. She tells Carbon Brief: 

“As we see more fires, we’re going to see more carbon being emitted and that’s just going to be, for lack of a better phrasing, adding fuel to the fire.” 

Examples of 2025 wildfires around Galloway (1) and Inverness (2) in Scotland, and a wildfire in Powys (3) in Wales. Source: FIRMS, MapTiler, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The UK has also recorded its highest-ever wildfire emissions this year, according to Copernicus, which was “primarily driven” by major wildfires in Scotland from late June to early July.

These were the largest wildfires ever recorded in the country, reported the Scotsman. They “ravaged” land in Moray and the Highlands in the north of the country, the newspaper added. 

Scotland experienced an extreme wildfire in Galloway Forest Park in April, which was “so intense it could be seen from space”, the Financial Times said. 

Elsewhere, in April, the Belfast News Letter reported that firefighters tackled almost 150 fires on the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland. 

More recently, BBC News reported that firefighters in Dorset, England received “non-stop” wildfire calls in the first weekend of August, with one blaze “engulf[ing] an area the size of 30 football pitches”. 

Wildfires have also caused devastation across many parts of Europe in recent weeks – including Albania, Cyprus, France, Greece, Spain and Turkey – as well as in the US and Canada. 

Words by Orla Dwyer. Analysis by Ho Woo Nam. Charts by Tom Prater.

Original article by Orla Dwyer, Ho Woo Nam and Tom Prater republished from Carbon Brief under a CC license.

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Nigel Farage urges you to ignore facts and reality and be a climate science denier like him. 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. He says that Reform UK has received millions and millions from the fossil fuel industry to promote climate denial and destroy the planet.
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.
Continue ReadingAnalysis: Record UK wildfires have burned an area twice the size of Glasgow in 2025

Ecocide could be criminalised in Scotland, new proposals says

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/ecocide-could-be-criminalised-scotland-new-proposals-says

 Protesters dressed as forensic investigators outside Barclays bank in Broadmead, Bristol, to protest against the bank’s financing of climate devastation, September 5, 2020

Ecocide could become a criminal offence in Scotland under new proposals launched today at Holyrood.

The Ecocide (Scotland) Bill would make it a criminal offence to cause widespread, long-term or irreversible environmental damage, with culprits facing up to 20 years in jail or unlimited company fines.

MSPs are expected to begin scrutinising the legislation before the summer recess, with a vote on it expected later this year.

The Bill was launched by Labour MSP Monica Lennon, who said it would deter people and firms from harming Scotland’s natural environment.

“Ecocide is a crime against the common good and those who commit widespread or irreversible harm should be held to account,” she said.

“This is a vital opportunity for Scotland to become the first UK nation to criminalise ecocide and signal that the destruction of nature won’t be tolerated here.”

…

Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/ecocide-could-be-criminalised-scotland-new-proposals-says

Orcas comment on killer apes destroying the planet by continuing to burn fossil fuels.
Orcas comment on killer apes destroying the planet by continuing to burn fossil fuels.
Continue ReadingEcocide could be criminalised in Scotland, new proposals says