24-10-2025

Month: November 2024

Russia accuses Biden of ‘fuelling’ Ukraine war, vows response

Biden, who in January hands over the White House to Donald Trump, a sceptic of US support for Ukraine, urged a gathering of world leaders — attended by Russia’s foreign minister — to follow the US lead in backing Ukraine.

The missile dispute raged as Moscow unleashed a second missile attack in two days on the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odesa, killing 10 people and wounding more than 40.

Kyiv has long sought authorisation to use US Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, to hit military installations inside Russia as its troops face some of the most intense pressure since Russia launched its offensive in 2022.

Ukraine says strikes in Russia will help it prevent aerial bombardments that have levelled entire districts of towns near the front line and decimated energy facilities across the country.

“It’s obvious that the outgoing administration in Washington intends… to continue fuelling the fire and provoke a further escalation of tensions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Speaking at the G20 summit in Brazil, Biden urged other leaders to support Ukraine’s “sovereignty”.

“The United States strongly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Everyone around this table in my view should as well,” Biden told the meeting.

A US official told AFP the major policy shift was in response to Russia’s deployment of thousands of North Korean troops to aid its war effort.

 ‘Direct US involvement’   

Peskov said President Vladimir Putin had clearly expressed Moscow’s position in September when he declared that using the missiles would put NATO “at war” with Russia.

Putin said then that if Ukraine attacked Russia with long-range missiles, Moscow would “take the appropriate decisions” — a point the foreign ministry echoed on Monday.

“Kyiv’s use of long-range missiles to attack our territory would represent the direct involvement of the United States and its satellites in hostilities against Russia,” the ministry said in a statement, vowing an “appropriate and palpable” response.

Washington’s decision comes amid growing concerns over reports North Korea has deployed upwards of 10,000 troops to Russia to be sent into combat against Ukraine.

US Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer said Washington had been clear it would formulate a response to the Kremlin’s decision to deploy “a foreign country’s forces” in Russia.

 Zelensky visits frontline  
Russia, which has been making rapid gains in Donetsk over recent weeks, claimed the capture of another village in the eastern region.

The Donetsk regional governor said three people had been killed and two  wounded in Russian attacks on the towns of Siversk and Kostyantynivka.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had visited two key frontline cities — Pokrovsk and Kupiansk.

Pokrovsk is an important Ukrainian garrison city in the Donetsk region that Russian forces have been targetting, while Russian troops briefly entered Kupiansk last week and are close to the city outskirts.

“This is a tense area,” Zelensky said at Pokrovsk, thanking Ukrainian forces for ensuring that the wider Donbas territory was not “completely occupied by Russia”.

Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use US missiles to strike inside Russia could prompt European allies to also review their stance. Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused to be drawn on the issue at the G20.

A senior Ukrainian presidency official expressed frustration over the time taken to tget approval, saying the decision was “needed a year ago”.

A Ukrainian serviceman deployed in the Donetsk region who identified himself as Odin echoed that sentiment.

“Is it long overdue. How long can this go on? They can kill our children, mothers,” he told AFP near Pokrovsk.

The international chemical weapons watchdog said meanwhile that it had found banned CS riot gas in shell and soil samples provided by Ukraine from the conflict zone.

The presence of the gas violated a convention on the use of toxic weapons.

Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of using chemical weapons, while Britain and the United States also charge Moscow with using banned toxic agents against Ukrainian troops.

Ukrainian engineers meanwhile were still repairing damaged facilities from a Russian missile and drone barrage a day earlier.

Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said around 220,000 consumers were without electricity in the Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

 

 

Israel hit a ‘component in Iran’s N-plan’ last month: PM

“It’s not a secret,” Netanyahu said in a speech in parliament. “There is a specific component in their (Iran’s) nuclear programme that was hit in this attack.” He did not identify the component, but added that Iran’s “path to a nuclear weapon’ had not been blocked.

On Oct 26, Israeli fighter jets carried out three waves of attacks on Iranian military targets, a few weeks after Iran had fired a barrage of about 200 ballistic missiles against Israel.

This followed a previous exchange of direct attacks in April.

Netanyahu, in his speech, offered a few more details on what Israel had targeted.

Israel’s April strike, he said, was narrower, taking out “one of four Russian-supplied S-300 surface-to-air missile defence batteries” around Tehran.

He claimed that Israel destroyed the remaining three batteries last month and caused serious damage to Iran’s ballistic missile production capabilities and its ability to produce solid fuel, which is used in long-range ballistic missiles.

No pressure on MPs over assisted dying vote, says PM

The prime minister has said he will not put pressure on Labour MPs over their votes on whether to legalise assisted dying.

Cabinet ministers are increasingly divided in public over the issue, which will be voted on in the House of Commons at the end of next week.

MPs are being granted a free vote, which means their parties are not telling them how to vote.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is the latest senior minister to set out her opposition to a change in the law, alongside Deputy PM Angela Rayner, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

Cabinet supporters for a change in the law include Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

The Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, the country’s most senior civil servant, had told all ministers they should “not take part in the public debate.”

Mr Streeting’s repeated public opposition, including asking officials to examine the costs to the NHS of implementing any change in the law, has provoked private and public irritation from some of his Labour colleagues.

One cabinet source said it was “ridiculous” to expect the health secretary not to give his view.

On Friday morning, the prime minister and the health secretary spoke about it face-to-face, a conversation, one source told me, amounted to a telling off for Mr Streeting.

Neither Downing Street nor the Department of Health deny the meeting took place, with another source insisting afterwards there was “no outstanding issue” between the two men.

Those around the prime minister also acknowledge that it is reasonable that both the health secretary and the justice secretary would face more questions than most on the issue, given they would be responsible for implementing any change in the law.

But the fact that both are opposed to such a change highlights the tensions this is causing within government – could either, realistically, implement such a colossal change, weighted with moral considerations, which they personally opposed?

And what of the prime minister’s position? And how awkward could it be if he finds himself on the losing side of the argument?

It has provoked some pretty searching conversations at the top of government, I am told, about how best to handle it – to minimise the prospect of what some see as an “unnecessary mess”.

A free vote is rare at Westminster, but even with one politicians can never detach themselves entirely from party politics.

Sir Keir has previously said he was in favour of a change in the law and has now told reporters “I will be voting” a week on Friday.

Referring to his time as Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Keir said:

“People feel very strongly about this. And that’s not a political divide. It’s a sort of individual divide. I know this first hand because obviously I looked at every single assisted suicide case for five years that was investigated.”

He added: “I also did the biggest consultation in criminal justice when we did the consultation on assisted dying. It was the biggest response, because people felt so strongly, and I could feel that, and I’ve always said getting the balance right is crucially important.”

Pointedly, he said he won’t “say or do anything that will put pressure on other people in relation to their vote,” when asked whether he thought the health secretary had broken the understanding that the government should remain neutral on the issue.

Constitutional bench rejects plea to declare candidates successful with 50% votes

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court’s seven-member constitutional bench on Monday commenced hearing pending cases before the apex court.

The bench, led by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, includes Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Justice ⁠Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Musarrat Hilali.

During the hearing today, the court dismissed the petition seeking to declare candidates receiving over 50% of votes as successful in elections. The petitioner,  Advocate Chaudhry Akram,  was also slapped with a Rs20,000 fine for filing a “frivolous” petition.

Justice Mazhar questioned under which constitutional provision a candidate must secure 50% of votes to win. He emphasised that election outcomes are determined by the votes cast.

Justice Ayesha asked which fundamental right of the petitioner was violated and which constitutional provisions were being breached. She added that the Supreme Court does not have the authority to legislate new laws.

The petitioner argued that Parliament decides the course of people’s lives, to which Justice Khan responded that Parliament does not make such decisions.

Justice Hilali remarked that everyone has the right to vote but noted that people often watch television on polling day instead of voting. She stated that if voters fail to cast their votes, it reflects their own shortcomings.

Justice Mandokhail inquired if the petitioner had cast their vote in the February 2024 election. When the petitioner admitted they had not, Justice Mandokhail remarked that such behaviour disrespects the Constitution.

The bench then imposed a Rs20,000 fine for frivolous litigation, with Justice Khan dismissing the petitioner’s suggestion of a Rs100 billion penalty to reduce the national debt, pointing out the petitioner’s inability to pay such an amount.

The seven-member bench also heard a plea regarding making it mandatory for independent candidates to join political parties. The petitioner appeared before the bench via video link.

 

 

Justice Khan remarked that the permission granted to the petitioner to appear on court premises should suffice. The petitioner acknowledged that the matter had already been resolved, rendering their appeal ineffective.

Subsequently, the constitutional bench dismissed the petition on the grounds of ineffectiveness.

During the hearing on a plea challenging the Income Levy Tax Act 2013, the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) counsel said many parties involved in the cases have not received notices.

The lawyer added it might have been possibly due to incorrect addresses for around 400 individuals. The court directed that notices be served through advertisements in newspapers to ensure compliance.

On November 20, the proceedings will include a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) challenging Sections 74 and 75 of the Sindh Local Government Act 2013, along with Section 18 of the Sindh Building Control Ordinance 1979.

Another case involves a petition by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui against the conduct and results of the 2017 Population and Housing Census.

The bench will also address suo motu notices on the transfer of the Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) on political grounds and the supply of drugs in educational institutions.

Moreover, the bench will hear Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan’s petition regarding judges’ seniority in the Lahore High Court, and a case opposing the designation of the Sunni Ittehad Council as a parliamentary party.

The bench, on November 21, will hear a constitutional petition against child trafficking and abduction, alongside a challenge to the constitutionality of the commission established on audio leaks, filed by former Supreme Court Bar’s Abid Zuberi.

It will also address a Suo mote notice on the poor condition of public schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Hamza Shahbaz’s petition against PTI’s Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.

Furthermore, a case regarding the disqualification of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, filed by Syed Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi, and a petition regulating the powers of high court chief justices will also be heard.

On November 22, the bench will take up a constitutional petition concerning the alarming state of forests across Pakistan and a case regarding the utilization of foreign aid during the 2005 earthquake.

It will also hear petitions challenging appointments in the Sindh High Court and judiciary as unlawful and regarding the implementation of right-to-information laws.

Gandapur to discuss Imran-establishment tensions in Apex Committee meeting

ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is all set to discuss Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) November 24 protest march, and their ongoing tension with the establishment in the Apex Committee meeting, where he will be sitting face-to-face with the top military leadership.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called a meeting of the Apex Committee, which will see the participation of Chief of Army Staff general Asim Munir, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, Military Intelligence DG, Intelligence Bureau DG, all provincial chief ministers, key federal ministers, and others as its members to discuss the law and order situation with special reference to the surging incidents of terrorism.

Gandapur, when approached by The News, said he would attend the top-level apex committee meeting. Earlier, it was indicated the meeting will be held on Monday (today) but the chief minister said it was scheduled for Tuesday.

 

 

When asked if he would discuss in the apex body the November 24 protest march of PTI and issues relating to Khan and his party, he said: “I will not discuss politics. Neither do we need anybody’s permission to hold the protest march.”

He, however, said when you discuss law and order situation and the National Action Plan, then the situation faced by  Khan and PTI is bound to be discussed. He said he would raise these issues. He disclosed that he has been discussing these issues in the past apex body meetings.

Referring to the ongoing tensions between the PTI and the establishment, he said this situation was not in favour of anyone. “It’s neither in the interest of PTI nor that of Pakistan and the institution (of army),” he said, adding such issues need to be resolved.

The chief minister talked about the hardships faced by the PTI and its leadership. When asked about Khan’s aggressive tone against the institution and its top leadership, Gandapur first denied it. But when reminded of what the founder chairman has been saying, he said when you put someone behind the bars for so long, he would also speak.

The chief minister also expressed his concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation.

Referring to the sacrifices given by the army and other law-enforcing agencies in their fight against terrorism, he said: “We respect and honour their sacrifices for the people and country.”

According to media reports, the Apex Committee will be briefed on the current security situation and actions taken by the authorities to curb terrorism.

Recently terrorist incidents have increased, particularly in KP and Balochistan. In October alone, 48 terrorist attacks were reported resulting in 100 deaths.

In such a situation, PTI’s protest march to Islamabad on November 24 becomes an issue of concern for security agencies and is, therefore, expected to be discussed by the top civil-military leadership.

Six terrorists killed in failed attack on Balochistan security post

RAWALPINDI: At least six terrorists were killed and four others wounded as they tried to launch an attack on a security check post in the Kalat district of Balochistan, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

“On the night of 15/16 November 2024, terrorists attempted to attack a security forces’ post in the general area of Shah-e-Mardan of Kalat District,” the Pakistan Army’s media affairs wing said in a statement on Saturday.

“Own troops fought gallantly, as a result of which six terrorists were sent to hell, while four terrorists were injured.”

The statement added: “However, during the intense exchange of fire, seven brave sons of soil, having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat.”

It further said that the sanitisation operation was being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the area.

Security forces of Pakistan, in step with the nation, remain determined to thwart attempts at sabotaging the peace, stability and progress of Balochistan, it said.

“Such sacrifices of our soldiers further strengthen our resolve.”

Saturday’s attack came three days after security forces eliminated at least four terrorists, including a “high-value target” during an intelligence-based operation in the Kech district of Balochistan.

In a similar incident earlier on November 12-13, security forces conducted an IBO in North Waziristan’s Miran Shah area on the reported presence of terrorists, according to an ISPR statement.

It is pertinent to mention here that the third quarter (July-September) of 2024 saw a sharp increase in fatalities of terrorist violence and counter-terrorism campaigns, with a 90% surge in violence, according to a report issued by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).

A total of 722 people were killed, including civilians, security personnel, and outlaws, while 615 others were wounded in as many as 328 incidents recorded during the period under review.

Nearly 97% of these fatalities occurred in KP and Balochistan – marking the highest percentage in a decade, and over 92% of these incidents of terror attacks and security forces’ operations were recorded in the same provinces.

The total fatalities from the three quarters of this year have now surpassed the total fatalities recorded for 2023; the number of fatalities rose to at least 1534 in the first three quarters compared to 1523 in 2023.

Meanwhile, terrorist groups continue to reorganise and beef up their ranks. Most of the terror attacks remain unclaimed by terrorist or insurgent groups, likely for tactical reasons, as per the report.

APP adds: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Kalat and praised the officers and jawans of the security forces for killing six terrorists and injuring and arresting four others, PM Office Media Wing said on Saturday in a press release.

The prime minister also paid homage to seven brave security personnel who laid down their lives while fighting terrorists gallantly.

He expressed his condolences to the families of the martyrs and prayed for them to bear the losses with fortitude.

The prime minister also prayed for the high ranks of martyrs.

He reiterated that they would continue the fight till terrorists were completely eliminated, adding that the entire nation stands with their valiant soldiers in the fight against terrorism.

For the survival of the country, the prime minister said, the jawans of the Pakistan Army and their families had rendered endless sacrifices.

Despite Bilawal’s outburst, President Zardari remains major guarantor for present system

ISLAMABAD: Despite Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s complaints against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, President Asif Ali Zardari remains one of the major guarantors for the stability of the present system.

Though Bilawal’s recent outburst against the PML-N and Shehbaz Sharif government made headlines yet there is no threat to the regime, which was established with the support of PPP.

All key PPP leaders, including Bilawal, know that despite their complaints against the PML-N, the party will not withdraw its support for the Shehbaz government, which would not survive without PPP’s backing.

All those who matter in the present system know that President Zardari is in harmony with Prime Minister Shehbaz and Army Chief General Asim Munir to support the present system for the political and economic stability of the country.

Recently, PM Shehbaz had told The News that he, President Zardari and Chief of Army Staff General Asim are on the same page for the political and economic stability of the country.

For all the measures being taken for the stability of the system and to improve the economic health of the country, all these three players work together.

For the same reason, the PPP has been supporting all critical policies, including legislations moved by the government besides backing the economic agenda set by the SIFC (Special Investment Facilitation Council).

According to a source, in some matters related to the SIFC decisions where some PPP leaders from Sindh had their reservations, the president played his role to ensure nothing went wrong.

A few days back, Bilawal had accused the ruling PML-N of violating its agreement with his party.

During an informal discussion with journalists at PPP’s Media Cell in Karachi, Bilawal said that true politics was based on respect and that the ruling coalition must adhere to its agreements.

The PPP has been raising its discontent over the behaviour of PML-N and its governments in the Centre and Punjab. The PPP has repeatedly said the PML-N, particularly the Maryam Nawaz government in Punjab, is not adhering to the agreement reached between the two sides at the time of the formation of the government.

Some senior PML-N leaders do admit that what the PPP was promised in Punjab has not yet been delivered.

The PPP was promised that it would be given political space in Punjab by letting the party appoint its choice civil administration and police officials in districts and tehsils where the party had won the February 8 elections.

Chief Minister Punjab Maryam, however, is insisting that she would not accept any political interference, including from her own party in the civil bureaucracy appointments.

Greek ruling party ousts former PM for opposing Turkey ‘calm waters’ stance

The Greek government said Saturday it has expelled former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras from the New Democracy ruling party after he criticised the government for being too conciliatory with Turkey.

Samaras had called on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to oust the country’s foreign minister for allegedly giving in to Turkish demands in ongoing talks between the countries dubbed “calm waters”.

Samaras, a hardline conservative who served as prime minister from 2012 to 2015, has in recent months openly criticised the government for being too soft with Turkey as well as for pursuing a so-called woke agenda in domestic social matters.

“The permanent appeasement of Turkish challenges is not a centrist policy. In this case, those who declare that in the name of ‘friendship and tranquillity’ with Turkey they don’t mind ‘being labelled an appeaser’ must be sent home,” Samaras said in an interview with To Vima newspaper.

Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said in a statement Saturday afternoon that Samaras “in his last interview, expressed his total disagreement with the whole of the current government policy. Moreover, in an unchivalrous and provocative manner, he adopted extreme lies, distorting statements by the Foreign Minister which have been repeatedly and comprehensively clarified.”

The statement said that with his comments, Samaras has “placed himself” out of the New Democracy party.

“No one has the right to gamble with the stability of the country in these troubled times”, it said.

Samaras had already been expelled from the party in 1993, when as foreign minister he took a hardline stance in a dispute with North Macedonia over the name of Greece’s northern neighbour.

After causing the fall of the government of then Prime Minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis — father of the current prime minister — and forming his own party, he returned to New Democracy in 2004 and became the president of the party in 2009 and was elected prime minister after the 2012 general elections.

Samaras, who does not hold a cabinet position in the current government, said Saturday that his expulsion resulted from “arrogance and an obvious lack of composure” from Mitsotakis.

 

Iran says ‘limited opportunity’ for nuclear diplomacy

Iran’s foreign minister said in an interview on Saturday that an opportunity exists for nuclear negotiations with the West, but that it is “limited”.

Abbas Araghchi’s comments come after the head of UN nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi visited the Islamic republic and for talks with high-ranking officials.

“There is still an opportunity for diplomacy, although this opportunity is not much, it is a limited opportunity,” Araghchi said of Iran’s nuclear programme in the interview with state television.

The visit by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general is seen as one of the last chances for diplomacy before US President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House in January.

During his first term between 2017 and 2021, Trump imposed a policy known as “maximum pressure” against Iran.

This included Washington tearing up a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme that had been reached under his predecessor, Barack Obama in 2015.

Trump reintroduced heavy sanctions, which the current US administration of Joe Biden has maintained.

The 2015 deal provided for an easing of international sanctions, in exchange for guarantees that Iran does not seek to acquire nuclear weapons — a charge Tehran has constantly denied it is pursuing.

“Our nuclear path in the next year will be a sensitive and complicated one, but we are prepared for any scenario and conditions,” Araghchi said on Saturday.

He said Iran will be ready for both “confrontation” and “cooperation”, whichever path the other side decides to follow.

During his visit the IAEA chief held talks with Araghchi as well as with President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami.

Grossi also toured the key uranium enrichment plants of Natanz and Fordo in central Iran.

His visit comes ahead of a meeting of the IAEA’s board of governors later this month at which Britain, France and Germany could propose a new resolution critical of Iran.

In his interview on Saturday, Araghchi warned against such a measure.

“If a resolution is passed against us, it will face reciprocal actions by Iran. We will take new measures in our nuclear programme that they will certainly not like.”

Expectations have run high that Trump will take a harder line with Tehran when he takes office in January.

However, The New York Times reported on Thursday that Trump’s tech billionaire ally Elon Musk had met the Iranian ambassador to the UN in a bid to defuse tensions.

Araghchi in his interview on Saturday denied that such a meeting had taken place.

“There has been no meeting between the representative of Iran and Elon Musk,” he said.

“Now is not the time for such meetings. It is not wise, and there is not a will for it.”

SNP plans to cut staff at party headquarters

The SNP’s ruling body has proposed cutting the number of staff at its headquarters by more than a third, from 26 to 16.

The party’s national executive committee (NEC) agreed to a proposal to “streamline” staffing during a meeting on Saturday.

A voluntary redundancy scheme has been opened.

National secretary Councillor Alex Kerr said the move would “protect the long-term finances of the party”.

The announcement comes as its focus shifts to the 2026 Holyrood election.

The SNP, which has been in power since 2007, faces a resurgent Labour Party which increased its Scottish seats at Westminster from one to 37 in the summer’s general election.

Mr Kerr said: “The national executive committee has been tasked with delivering a modern, dynamic election-winning party to win in 2026 and beyond – and today’s agreement to consult on a new structure at headquarters makes key progress to deliver on that aim.

“The proposal, agreed by the SNP National Executive Committee today, would get HQ into shape for future elections and for the fight for independence.

“It would mean that not everyone currently employed at HQ will continue with us but a streamlined headquarters protects the long-term finances of the party and delivers on the modern, professional, election-winning organisation Scotland needs.”

Mr Kerr said the SNP’s success was built on the work of many people – at headquarters, in local campaign teams and those in elected office.

He also thanked those who worked for the party and supported its aim of an independent Scotland.

Murray Foote, left, pictured with the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn

The party suffered a heavy defeat in July’s general election and was left with nine, MPs compared to 48 in 2019.

Along with the loss of its status as the third biggest party at Westminster, the SNP also lost out on a bulk of its so-called short money.

This is provided to opposition parties to allow them to carry out their parliamentary duties.

Last month the SNP’s chief executive Murray Foote quit the post after 14 months.

The former newspaper editor said that he “could not make the necessary personal commitment” to leading a reorganisation of the party after their disappointing election performance.

The SNP has also struggled for substantial donations in recent years, relying instead on membership fees.

It is the biggest political party in Scotland, with figures from June showing it had 65,000 members.

But falling membership numbers have triggered a drop in income.

The current membership is roughly half what it was after a surge following 2014’s independence referendum.

This year, 81% of the party’s funding came from membership fees, compared to just 35% in 2015 – the year former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon led it to a massive 56 seats in the general election.

The party’s finances have been improving recently and its most recent accounts showed it was in surplus.

Meanwhile, there is an ongoing police probe into the SNP’s finances.

The party’s former chief executive Peter Murrell, who is married to former first minister and ex-SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, has been charged with embezzling party funds.

The Crown Office are currently considering whether there is enough evidence to prosecute Mr Murrell, and whether a prosecution would be in the public interest.

Sturgeon and former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie were also arrested and released without charge, pending further investigation.

Copyright © UNews-UK All Rights Reserved. Designed By Webtechnomind IT Solutions