25-04-2026

Month: June 2023

Ian Blackford, the SNP’s former Westminster leader, is to stand down as an MP at the next general election.

Mr Blackford has been the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber since 2015, when he defeated former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy in a controversial campaign.

He led the SNP’s Westminster group for five years and faced four different Conservative prime ministers at question time in the Commons.

The former banker stepped down as group leader in December.

The resignation avoided Mr Blackford facing a possible challenge from his eventual successor, Stephen Flynn, amid speculation that some of his MPs were plotting to replace him.

He had become a well-known figure in the House of Commons through his weekly appearance at Prime Minister’s Questions and was seen as being a close ally of Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister and SNP leader who stood down earlier this year.

But he angered some members of the party’s Westminster group by urging them to give “absolute full support” to SNP MP Patrick Grady, who had been suspended for sexual misconduct.

 

Mr Blackford said he had thought “long and hard” whether to stand in next year’s general election and that he was “privileged and humbled that people across my home constituency have put their trust in me at three elections”.

He added: “Having stood down as SNP Westminster leader, I have gone through a period of reflection as to how I can best assist the party and the cause of independence – a cause I have campaigned for since joining the SNP as a teenager in the 1970s.

“My desire to see Scotland become an independent country, and for our country and its people to achieve its full potential, remains as strong as when I first entered politics decades ago.

“Although I will not be standing for the Westminster Parliament at the next election, I look forward to playing my part in the continuing campaign for Scottish independence and supporting our first minister and the SNP as we go forward to the next election and beyond.”

Mr Blackford has been working on producing a paper on Scotland’s industrial future, which he said he hoped would lead to “sustainable enhancement in economic growth, driving investment and better paid jobs in Scotland and raising living standards”.

He added: “I look forward to finishing this work and continuing as the first minister’s business ambassador, on behalf of the SNP.”

Mr Blackford was a close ally of Nicola Sturgeon

Mr Flynn, the SNP’s current group leader at Westminster, said his predecessor had played a “massive role” in making the party a formidable force in Scottish and UK politics.

He said Mr Blackfrd had been a “stalwart in the SNP for decades”, adding: “I know Ian will be sorely missed by his constituents and colleagues when he stands down as an MP but I am confident that he will have a key role in continuing the campaign for Scotland to become an independent country.”

Mr Blackford’s campaign to replace Mr Kennedy as the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber in 2015 became mired in controversy over online abuse aimed at the former Liberal Democrat leader and his long-running battle with alcoholism.

Brian Smith, who was convenor of the local SNP branch, later resigned after it was reported that he had called Mr Kennedy a “drunken slob” and “quisling-in-chief” in a series of more than 130 tweets.

Mr Kennedy died of a major haemorrhage linked to his alcoholism just three weeks after the election.

Pakistan, Iraq agree to boost bilateral cooperation in diverse fields

Pakistan and Iraq on Monday agreed to further enhance bilateral cooperation in various sectors and cement the brotherly ties between the two nations.

The development came during a meeting between Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Iraqi President Dr Abdul Latif Jamal in Baghdad today, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, the two leaders appreciated the trajectory of bilateral relations and agreed to expand mutually beneficial cooperation.

Pakistan and Iraq enjoy close and cordial relations based on mutual respect and shared values, read the statement.

Separately, the foreign minister called on Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani and conveyed best wishes to the leadership and the people of Iraq.

Speaking on the occasion, FM Bilawal expressed Pakistan’s resolve to enhance cooperation with Iraq in diverse fields and strengthen bilateral relations.

He also expressed good wishes for the Iraqi people and the government on behalf of the government and the people of Pakistan.

The foreign minister is undertaking this visit at the invitation of the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Iraq Dr Fuad Hussein.

PM Office to ‘strictly use only refillable water containers’ from today onwards

On World Environment Day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed his office and federal government entities to “strictly use only refillable water containers” as a reflection of his government’s “commitment to fighting pollution”.

The premier issued the directives while announcing the federal cabinet’s approval of the “Single Use Plastics Prohibition Regulations 2023”. He added that it would kick-start the country’s “journey to reduce plastic waste”.

“The new regulation will phase out single-use plastic items throughout Islamabad. We will also be introducing an action plan for its implementation,” PM Shehbaz added.

The premier also urged all provincial governments and the public at large to join the Centre “in reducing and help to beat plastic pollution in Pakistan”.

World Environment Day is an initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and held annually on June 5 since 1973.

“World Environment Day is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people across the world,” says the UN. This year’s host for the day is Côte D’Ivoire.

Earlier today, in a message on the occasion of World Environment Day, PM Shehbaz emphasised the urgent need to combat plastic pollution under the global theme “Beating Plastic Pollution”.

He stressed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to combat plastic pollution and embark on a journey of plastics reduction.

He said that his government has taken several steps to take the country on the path to sustainable use of resources.

PM Shehbaz acknowledged that Pakistan has actively participated in crucial international and national level discussions to develop a comprehensive, legally binding instrument aimed at ending plastic pollution, with a target date set for 2024.

The government of Pakistan recognises the significance of ensuring inclusivity and equity within the agreement, emphasizing the need for the treaty to prioritize so that no one is left behind.

The prime minister also called upon all stakeholders, including citizens, businesses, civil society organisations, and the media, to renew their commitment to the fight against plastic pollution and preserving the planet’s biodiversity for future generations.

He emphasised the importance of empowering local communities, supporting recycling initiatives, and promoting a circular economy that minimises plastic waste.

US, India unveil roadmap to step up joint defence production

Washington and New Delhi established an ambitious roadmap for military industrial cooperation on Monday amid India’s efforts to reduce its dependence on arms supplier Russia and localise defence production.

“We established an ambitious new roadmap for defence industrial cooperation, which will fast-track high priority co-development and co-production projects,” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said as he wrapped up an overnight visit to New Delhi.

Moscow and New Delhi have been allies for decades, with Russia by far India’s biggest arms supplier.

Now India — which has not condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine — is looking to diversify, both by broadening its sources of imports and ramping up domestic production.

Western countries, including the United States and France, are negotiating multi-billion-dollar contracts, and diplomats say India is putting a high priority on technology transfer as part of any deal.

The agreement will fast-track technology cooperation and co-production in areas including air combat and land mobility systems, the “undersea domain”, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, the US Defense Department said.

The initiative “aims to change the paradigm for cooperation between US and Indian defense sectors”, it said, and “could provide India access to cutting-edge technologies and support India’s defense modernisation plans”.

India displaced China as the world’s most populous country earlier this year, and relations between the Asian giants have been strained since a deadly high-altitude border clash in June 2020.

At the same time, Washington and Beijing are engaged in fierce competition on diplomatic, military, technological and economic fronts.

But India is walking a diplomatic tightrope: uniquely, it is a member of both the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which includes both Russia and China, and the Quad, set up with the United States, Japan, and Australia to counter Beijing’s growing assertiveness.

As well as arms, India also imports oil from Russia, increasing its purchases since the Ukraine war began.

Austin, speaking to reporters after meeting his counterpart Rajnath Singh, said boosting partnerships with India came against a backdrop of “bullying and coercion” from China, as well as Russian “aggression against Ukraine”.

India’s defence ministry said discussions had a “particular focus on identifying ways to strengthen industrial cooperation” with Washington, including the “co-development of new technologies and co-production of existing and new systems”.

Austin’s visit comes ahead of a trip by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington in June.

Austin visited India as part of a tour of Asia that previously took him to Japan and Singapore, part of a push to help counter China and an increasingly bellicose North Korea.

The United States is “committed to collaborating closely with India in support of our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific”, Austin said, but added they were “absolutely not trying to establish a NATO” equivalent in the region.

Iran to reopen embassy in Riyadh today

Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani announced the reopening in a statement on Monday, confirming earlier comments by a diplomatic source in Riyadh.

Iran’s embassy in Riy­adh, its consulate in Jed­dah and its representative office to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation “will be officially reopened on Tuesday and Wednesday”, Kanani said.

The diplomatic source had earlier said the opening “will take place Tuesday at 6pm local time (1500 GMT) with the presence of the newly appointed Iranian ambassador” to Saudi Arabia.

While Saudi Arabia has yet to confirm when it will reopen its embassy in Tehran or its pick for ambassador, Iranian media had named Alireza Enayati as the Islamic republic’s Saudi envoy last month. He had previously served as Iran’s ambassador to Kuwait. Also, he had previously served as assistant to the foreign minister and director general of Gulf affairs at the foreign ministry, according to Iranian reports.

Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad were attacked during protests over Riyadh’s execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

After years of discord, the two Middle East heavyweights signed a surprise reconciliation agreement in China on March 10.

Since then, Saudi Arabia has restored ties with Tehran ally Syria and ramped up a push for peace in Yemen, where it has for years led a military coalition against the Iran-backed Huthi rebels. Iran and Saudi Arabia had backed opposing sides in conflict zones across the Middle East for years before mending fences.

Saudi Arabia, Israel should normalise ties: Blinken

“The United States has a real national security interest in promoting normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia,” Blinken said in a speech to the powerful pro-Israel lobby AIPAC.

“We believe we can and indeed we must play an integral role in advancing it,” Blinken said.

He said the administration of President Joe Biden has “no illusions” that bringing about full Saudi-Israel diplomatic relations can be done quickly or easily.

“But we remain committed to working toward that outcome, including on my trip this week to Jeddah and Riyadh for engagements with Saudi and Gulf counterparts,” he said.

US secretary of state warns against expansion of Jewish settlements

Blinken is expected to arrive on Tuesday evening in Jeddah, the Red Sea port where the ruling Saudi royalty keep palaces for the summer season.

On Wednesday and Thursday, he will be in Riyadh for a ministerial meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council and a separate meeting of the 80-strong coalition of countries fighting the Islamic State group.

In a speech Blinken also cautioned that moves toward annexation of the Israeli-occupied West Bank or that disrupt the status quo at holy sites would hurt the prospects for a two-state solution. He didn’t name the specific holy sites he was referring to.

“Settlement expansion clearly presents an obstacle to the horizon of hope that we seek,” Blinken said to muted response from the audience.

“Likewise, any move toward annexation of the West Bank, de facto or de jure, disruption of the historic status quo at holy sites, the continuing demolitions of homes and the evictions of families that have lived in those homes for generations damage prospects for two-states. They also undermine the basic daily dignity to which all people are entitled.”

The top US diplomat drew widespread applause when he outlined the longstanding American commitment to Israel and said all options were on the table when it came to preventing Israel’s No. 1 enemy, Iran, from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Washington would continue to work toward helping Israel integrate into the region as a means of enhancing security, stability and prosperity in the Middle East, Blinken said.

Blinken made an oblique reference to the contentious judicial reform proposal that led to massive protests in Israel in recent months. US President Joe Biden publicly opposed the proposal, which would give the Israeli government greater control over appointments to the country’s Supreme Court.

“We’ll continue to express our support for core democratic principles, including a separation of powers, checks and balances, and the equal administration of justice for all citizens of Israel,” he said.

Deep but testy relations

Besides his diplomatic counterparts, Blinken is expected to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto power in the country.

Despite longstanding close ties, US relations with the Saudis have been testy in recent years, over human rights issues like the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi by a group tied to the Saudi royal palace, and Riyadh’s effort to raise oil prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“There is just a tremendous amount of work that we’re trying to do” with the visit, said Daniel Benaim, a senior State Department official dealing with Arabian Peninsula affairs.

“We’re focused on an affirmative agenda here and the great deal of work our countries can do together.”

The anti-Islamic State coalition meeting will focus on the spread of extremism outside the Middle East, according to Ian McCary of the De­part­ment of State’s Counter­terrorism Bureau.

“We’re focusing in particular on Africa, where violent groups have adopted ISIS’s ideology,” McCary said, using another acronym for the Islamic State.

Israel has returned to Egypt the body of an Egyptian policeman who shot dead three Israeli soldiers near the border between the two countries on Saturday.

Media reports identified the policeman as Mohammed Salah, 22.

Egypt said after the incident that he crossed into Israel while chasing drug smugglers, leading to an exchange of fire with the Israeli soldiers.

But Israel’s prime minister said that it was a terrorist attack and demanded a thorough joint investigation.

A relative and a comrade of Salah told the BBC that he was not an extremist.

According to the Israeli military, two Israeli soldiers – Staff Sgt Uri Iluz, 20, and Sgt Lia Ben-Nun, 19 – posted in a remote spot along the border were shot dead early on Saturday morning. Their bodies were discovered after a senior officer was unable to contact them by radio.

After a search operation, the attacker was encircled and there was a shootout. The third soldier – Staff Sgt Ohad Dahan, 20 – was killed along with the attacker, who the Israeli military said was an Egyptian policeman.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting on Sunday: “Israel relayed a clear message to the Egyptian government. We expect that the joint investigation will be exhaustive and thorough.”

“We will refresh procedures and methods of operations and also the measures to reduce to a minimum the smuggling and to ensure tragic terrorist attacks like this do not happen again.”

Israeli media cited a preliminary investigation as saying the policeman entered Israel by using a closed emergency gate in the border fence, which was a few hundred metres away from Staff Sgt Iluz and Sgt Ben-Nun’s guard post.

After the policeman was killed, Israeli soldiers found that he was carrying six magazines for his rifle, as well as two combat knives and a Quran, they added.

The reports also said Egyptian officials had told their Israeli counterparts in meetings that the attacker was a “rogue” officer who had acted on his own after becoming radicalised.

Egyptian authorities have not commented on the reports or confirmed the policeman’s identity, but a relative of Mohammed Salah and a member of his unit told BBC News Arabic on Monday that members of this family and friends were being detained for questioning by investigators.

The relative denied that Salah had been radicalised and suggested that he might have wanted to avenge the death of a comrade.

During a period of leave last month, Salah had expressed his anger about “the silence over the killing of one of his military friends by Israeli soldiers during his military service at the border”, they said. He had also complained about the military rejecting a request for a medical exemption, they added.

It is not known what alleged incident the relative was referring to.

Civil servants around the UK are to continue striking despite an improved pay offer from the government.

Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members will take industrial action on Tuesday in Northern Ireland and Wednesday in Wales.

The PCS says the stoppages will continue while it considers the “significant concessions” to pay, redundancy terms and job security.

The government said the offer was the highest for civil servants in 20 years.

Union members have taken action for months and there have been three national walkouts. Previously, PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Ministers need to resolve the dispute by putting money on the table.”

On Friday, the government made a new offer to try to break the deadlock. Union bosses said civil servants below senior grades had been offered a lump sum of £1,500 for 2022/23.

 

The deal was welcomed by the union and in a statement on Monday evening the PCS said it was the “first time in our union’s history” that members had won “considerable extra money for members”.

But it said “planned targeted action” would go ahead this month – members in the Northern Ireland Office will walk out for three days from Tuesday, while Audit Wales and the National Museum of Wales will be affected from Wednesday.

It added members at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency will take part in a 15-day strike from 11 June and driving examiners in 286 test centres across England and Wales will take action from 15 June.

The union said any re-ballots for further action had been put on hold pending the outcome of talks with the government at the end of the month.

‘Significant achievement’

Officials had been calling for a 10% pay rise to reflect the rising cost of living but at the time the government said their demands would cost an “unaffordable £2.4bn”.

The union said the latest offer was a “significant achievement… which, while short of our full claim, puts money in members’ pockets and brings parity of treatment with other public sector workers”.

The government, when it announced its new offer on Friday, said guidance for Civil Service pay allowed departments to award a 4.5% pay increase for staff, with the potential for an extra 0.5% increase for lower paid staff.

Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin said “constructive engagement” with the unions had allowed the department to make the £1,500 payment offer.

“This is both fair to the taxpayer and a recognition of the financial pressures civil servants have faced over the last year,” Mr Quin said.

NAB expedites £190m scam probe against 22 former cabinet members

ISLAMABAD: Further tightening the noose around Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has accelerated the investigation against 22 former federal ministers in the £190 million settlement case linked with the transfer of money from Britain’s National Crime Agency’s (NCA) account

The anti-graft watchdog has issued letters to all the provincial excise departments seeking the records of vehicles, properties, and bank accounts held by the former cabinet members, which include members of political parties other than PTI as well.

These former ministers are Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Murad Saeed, Pervez Khattak, Zubaida Jalal, Hammad Azhar, Shafqat Mehmood, Shireen Mazari, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Ejaz Ahmed Shah, Ali Amin Gandapur, Farogh Naseem, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Asad Umar, Omer Ayub, Fawad Chaudhary, Mehboob Sultan, Faisal Vawda, Ali Zaidi, Azam Swati, Sheikh Rashid, Zaheeruddin Babar Awan, and others.

Moreover, NAB has also sought the details or copies of certified documents of vehicles purchased or sold by the former ministers during the period from January 2018 to 2023.

The anti-corruption body’s combined investigation team (CIT) from the Rawalpindi office, probing the corruption case had already recorded statements of the former ministers.

As per details, the majority of the ex-ministers appeared before the CIT while some submitted their reply through their lawyers when summoned.

It may be noted that the PTI chief and his wife Bushra Bibi were summoned on June 7 in relation to the same probe.

The former first lady has been asked to record her statement as a witness for being the trustee of the Al-Qadir University Trust, while the CIT has called the former prime minister to submit the response to a questionnaire given to him at his last appearance on May 23.

The case

The British government, in 2019, uncovered a whopping £140 million in an account owned by a renowned Pakistani real estate tycoon’s son, and his wife from 2018 to 2019.

The NCA swiftly froze the funds, suspecting the criminal origins of the proceeds.

Surprisingly, neither the individual nor his wife challenged the account freeze. Following proper legal procedures, the UK returned the laundered funds to Pakistan’s government in 2019.

This decision was announced through a joint press release by the Assets Recovery Unit (ARU) and the NCA.

The case subsequently made its way to Pakistan’s federal cabinet on December 3, 2019, where it was presented by the then-special assistant to the prime minister (SAPM), Mirza Shahzad Akbar, in a sealed envelope.

The purpose of the presentation was to discuss the return of the funds, which would be channelled into an account overseen by the registrar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

This particular account was associated with the recovery of a staggering Rs460 billion from the same property tycoon, in connection with fines imposed on a housing scheme in Karachi.

“[PTI chief] approved the settlement without allowing his cabinet members to read it,” a source familiar with the investigation told The News.

Investigations have revealed that as part of an agreement to return the laundered money, the property tycoon offered a substantial compensation package.

This included the transfer of 458 Kanal, 4 Marla and 58 square feet of land in Jhelum, alongside cash amounting to Rs285 million, which was destined for the Al-Qadir Trust.

The trustees of Al-Qadir Trust included the then-prime minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and his senior advisers Zulfiqar Bukhari and Babar Awan. However, it is worth noting that Awan and Bukhari’s positions were subsequently revoked on April 22, 2020.

Pakistan calls for global action against ‘plastic pollution’

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday emphasised the urgent need to combat plastic pollution under the global theme “Beating Plastic Pollution.”

In a message on the occasion of World Environment Day, the premier stressed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to combat plastic pollution and embark on a journey of plastics reduction.

PM Shehbaz said that his government has taken several steps to take the country on the path to sustainable use of resources.

The government has prioritised the adoption of environment-friendly alternatives and is actively working on the Plastics Prohibition Regulation 2023 for Islamabad Capital Territory. This regulation will establish a comprehensive framework and timeline for phasing out single-use plastics, while also leading by example on a plan to reduce and then ban the use of single-use plastics by the entire federal government.

In a demonstration of the federal government’s commitment to reducing plastic waste in Pakistan, the premier has directed the PM House to stop using single-use plastics, which like the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, will lead the way in phasing out and restricting the use of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles in Federal Ministries, Divisions across the board.

By doing so, the government aims to establish a sustainable and responsible approach to plastic usage and waste management, ensuring the protection of the environment and the well-being of future generations.

PM Shehbaz acknowledged that Pakistan has actively participated in crucial international and national level discussions to develop a comprehensive, legally binding instrument aimed at ending plastic pollution, with a target date set for 2024.

The government of Pakistan recognises the significance of ensuring inclusivity and equity within the agreement, emphasizing the need for the treaty to prioritize so that no one is left behind.

The prime minister also called upon all stakeholders, including citizens, businesses, civil society organisations, and the media, to renew their commitment to the fight against plastic pollution and preserving the planet’s biodiversity for future generations.

He emphasized the importance of empowering local communities, supporting recycling initiatives, and promoting a circular economy that minimises plastic waste.

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