The UK’s High Court has rejected a case brought by campaigners trying to stop the transfer to Israel of all British-made spare parts for US-produced F-35 fighter jets, saying it didn’t have the constitutional authority to intervene. The government suspended about 30 arms export licences to Israel last September because of a risk of UK-made weapons being used in violations of international law in the Gaza Strip. But the UK supplies components to a global pool of F-35s which Israel can access. The government had argued it could not pull out of the defence programme without endangering international peace. Amnesty…
Author: dmnews
This June, 13 BMC volunteers completed an 80m section of previously heavily eroded path below Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and cleared vast amounts of invasive Himalayan balsam in the Ogwen Valley in North Wales. BMC volunteer and Get Stuck In leader Roy Hammond says, “We had a team of 13 volunteers, working with four rangers from the National Trust Cymru Footpath Team in Eryri. On Wednesday 18 June we spent a day removing Himalayan balsam from the banks of Afon Ogwen in Bethesda. “Himalayan balsam is an invasive species in the UK and has become a significant problem, particularly along river…
CUMBRIA, UK — As the summer sun graces the United Kingdom, millions of Britons and international visitors alike are heading north to discover one of England’s most captivating natural wonders — the Lake District National Park. Located in the heart of Cumbria, this UNESCO World Heritage Site has become a go-to summer destination offering a rare blend of tranquility, adventure, and cultural richness. Known for its vast network of lakes, rolling green hills, and storybook villages, the Lake District is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful regions in the UK. But during the summer months, it becomes even…
Veganism is on the rise in certain parts of the world. Though global data is limited, around 3% of the world’s population was estimated to be vegan in 2018. In the US, a 2023 Gallup poll found that 1% of the population said they followed a vegan diet. More recently, a survey by The Vegan Society found that around 3% of the UK population has a plant-based diet – equivalent to approximately two million people. There are many well-documented benefits to such a choice. For one, eating meat and dairy is notoriously bad for the planet, while plants offer a much more sustainable solution. Many people have ethical concerns…
In July 1987, 38 years ago this week, a Nazi war criminal, the “Butcher of Lyon”, was sentenced to life in prison by a French court for crimes against humanity. Four years earlier, in 1983, the BBC reported on how France felt about this reckoning with its dark past. Klaus Barbie was known as the “Butcher of Lyon”. As the Gestapo chief in Lyon, France, during World War Two, he had been tasked with shattering the French Resistance and ridding the German-occupied city of its Jewish population. He became notorious for his cruelty and sadism, often taking a personal role…
Is it really over? After five days of surprise performances, setlist clashes, crazy outfits and blistering heat, Glastonbury is closing its gates until 2027. We watched epic shows from Pulp and Olivia Rodrigo, did viral dances with CMAT and Charli XCX and, for no apparent reason, saw two incarnations of Doctor Who on stage with Franz Ferdinand and Jade. Olivia Rodrigo leaves Glastonbury on a high Rod Stewart at Glastonbury: Old school charm from another era There’s always too much to process in the moment. We missed Gary Numan making his Glastonbury debut, and were locked out of Scissor Sisters’ epic…
A state funeral has been held in Iran for about 60 people, including military commanders and nuclear scientists, killed during the 12-day conflict with Israel. Coffins draped in the Iranian flag, bearing portraits of deceased commanders, were flanked by crowds near Tehran’s Enghelab Square. The conflict ended with a ceasefire earlier this week, after the US became directly involved by bombing key nuclear sites in Iran. Huge crowds of mourners dressed in black chanted slogans, waved Iranian flags and held portraits of those killed. Ahead of the event, a media campaign urged people to participate, with authorities providing free bus…
A deal to cut import tariffs between the US and UK has come into force, giving British car makers preferential access to the world’s biggest consumer market. It will allow UK motor manufacturers to sell up to 100,000 vehicles to the US at a tariff of 10% – a big advantage over international competitors – while tariffs on UK aerospace exports have been cut to zero. In return, the UK will scrap tariffs on beef and US ethanol imports – a move which the British bioethanol industry says will make it impossible for it to compete. However, UK steel and aluminium…
Iran has the capacity to start enriching uranium again – for a possible bomb – in “a matter of months”, the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog has said. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the US strikes on three Iranian sites last weekend had caused severe but “not total” damage, contradicting Donald Trump’s claim that Iran’s nuclear facilities were “totally obliterated”. “Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing there,” Grossi said on Saturday. Israel attacked nuclear and military sites in Iran on 13 June, claiming Iran was close to building…
The US must rule out any further strikes on Iran if it wants to resume diplomatic talks, Tehran’s deputy foreign minister has told the BBC. Majid Takht-Ravanchi said the Trump administration told Iran through mediators that it wanted to return to negotiations this week, but had not made its position clear on the “very important question” of further attacks while talks are taking place. The US and Iran were involved in talks over Iran’s nuclear programme when Israel struck Iranian nuclear sites and military infrastructure earlier this month and Iran responded with missiles. The US became directly involved in the…