EDINBURGH: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday he would act on any findings of wrongdoing from an internal investigation into a damaging betting scandal that could punish him further at a July 4 election he is expected to lose.
His Conservative Party trails the opposition Labour Party by around 20 points in UK polls and Sunak’s campaign has failed to take off amid a series of mis-steps, including his decision to leave D-Day commemorations early.
The campaign has been further damaged by revelations that several party officials and candidates are being investigated for allegedly betting on the date of the election before it was announced.
Sunak has said he was “incredibly angry” to hear of the allegations, which are being investigated by the Gambling Commission, and told reporters he was not aware of any other candidates being investigated.
“We have been in parallel conducting our own internal inquiries, and will of course act on any relevant findings or information,” Sunak told broadcasters after a campaign event in Edinburgh.
Labour leader Keir Starmer criticized Sunak’s handling of events, saying it showed weakness.
“Rishi Sunak needs to show some leadership,” he told reporters. “If these were my candidates... they’d be gone.”
Independence on the backburner
In Scotland, Labour hope to capitalize on the struggles of both the Conservatives and the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP), who are on their third leader in little over a year.
The SNP have dominated the Westminster parliament’s Scottish seats since 2015, garnering support of pro-independence voters in the wake of a 2014 referendum where Scots voted to remain part of the United Kingdom by 55 percent to 45 percent.
But a police probe into the SNP’s finances, Nicola Sturgeon’s sudden resignation as leader last year and the implosion of her successor Humza Yousaf’s administration in the devolved Scottish government this year have put that dominance in question.
Labour has also regained momentum in its former Scottish heartlands and polls show it level with or even ahead of the SNP for the first time in a decade.
The SNP manifesto says that if it wins a majority of Scottish seats, it will begin negotiations on independence, though both Sunak and Starmer have ruled out such talks.
At the launch of the Scottish Conservative manifesto, Sunak aimed his speech almost entirely at the SNP and their attempts to pursue a second independence vote.
The Conservatives are trying to hang on to their six Scottish seats, where the SNP are their main rivals.
“The fourth of July is Scotland’s chance... to put independence on the backburner for a generation,” Sunak said.
“But that can only happen if the SNP are routed. If they do not just lose some seats, but the SNP lose big.”
He also criticized the SNP and Labour’s approach to the energy sector, saying the Conservatives were the only way to protect North Sea oil.
The Conservatives lag behind in third place in Scotland, and could be on course for a historic defeat across the UK as a whole. Research by Ipsos Scotland found Sunak has a net negative approval rating of -64 points.
“We see Westminster politicians take campaign trips north of the border to dismiss the very idea that Scotland can have real, genuine influence at Westminster,” SNP leader John Swinney said in extracts of a speech he is due to give on Monday.
“Scotland’s voice is still ignored and our democratic choices are still disrespected.”
UK PM Sunak says he will act on gambling investigation findings
https://arab.news/c8yn8
UK PM Sunak says he will act on gambling investigation findings
- Sunak’s campaign has failed to take off amid a series of mis-steps, including his decision to leave D-Day commemorations early
Russia jails major general for six years over fraud at military theme park
The scandal at Patriot Park is one in a slew of criminal cases against former top officials
MOSCOW: A senior Russian Defense Ministry official was sentenced to six years in prison on Thursday after being found guilty of fraud and forgery in relation to an embezzlement scheme at a military theme park, the RIA state news agency reported.
Major General Vladimir Shesterov was detained last August for his role in the scheme at the Patriot Park, a war-themed tourist attraction outside Moscow. Two other men, including Pavel Popov, a former deputy defense minister, are also facing prosecution.
RIA, citing the investigation materials, said Shesterov and the ex-director of the park, Vyacheslav Akhmedov, who is also in custody, forged documents related to completed construction work at the park in the amount of some 26 million roubles ($332,000).
The scandal at Patriot Park is one in a slew of criminal cases against former top officials that have engulfed the Russian army in recent months.
Shesterov fully admitted guilt, but insisted he had not received any material benefit from the scheme.
“I am to blame, I don’t whitewash myself, I sincerely repent,” he said in court, according to RIA.
Akhmedov has also entered a guilty plea in his trial.
The case against Popov, the former deputy defense minister, is ongoing. RIA reported that Popov had instructed Shesterov and Akhmedov to build him a two-story house, a guest house with a sauna, and a two-story garage on land Popov owned in the Moscow region — with the Defense Ministry footing the bill.
Popov has previously denied wrongdoing. Reuters was unable to contact his lawyer on Thursday.
Patriot Park displays a vast collection of Russian and Soviet weaponry, and offers visitors the chance to clamber on tanks and take part in combat simulations. On its website, it also features a photo gallery of “heroes of the special military operation” — Russia’s official term for its war in Ukraine.
Saudi Arabia’s NCNP drives non-profit growth, global ties at World Expo
- NCNP hosted the panel session — The Future of Non-Profits — at the Saudi Pavilion
- The panel demonstrated the NCNP’s goal of activating the Kingdom’s SDGs through innovation, collaboration, and strategic partnerships
OSAKA: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Non-Profit Sector (NCNP) is expanding at a rapid pace with the number of registered NPOs surpassing 5,700 last year.
In a bid to capitalize on the situation and position Saudi Arabia as a global leader in the sector, the NCNP brought together leading voices from the Kingdom’s non-profit organizations (NPOs) for a high-profile panel discussion and for a separate U-Table meeting at the World Expo in Osaka.
NCNP hosted the panel session — The Future of Non-Profits — at the Saudi Pavilion to highlight how the Kingdom has advanced the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through non-profit entities.
The panel demonstrated the NCNP’s goal of activating the Kingdom’s SDGs through innovation, collaboration, and strategic partnerships.
The panel featured HRH Princess Luluah Bint Nawaf Al Saud, President of the Board at Mawaddah Association for Family Stability (MAFS), Reem Abukhayal, Media and PR Manager of Alwaleed Philanthropies, and Dr. Abdullah AlMuhanna, Vice President of Sector Empowerment at National Developmental Housing Foundation (Sakan).
NCNP’s International Communication lead, Alaa Alghamdi addressed the successful models and initiatives led by Saudi NPOs and the challenges and opportunities in scaling impact through innovation, partnerships, and sustainability.
“We were very excited to highlight how NCNP is building a sustainable future through non-profit innovation during our informative panel discussion,” Mishari Alturaif, GM of Government Outsourcing at NCNP, said.
“The Future of Non-Profits discussion underscores the ambitious efforts that NCNP is putting into supporting innovation across the local and global non-profit sector through constructive dialogue and engagement.”
NCNP also hosted a U-Table meeting with leading Saudi and international NPO’s that introduced NCNP and its international collaboration goals.
Participants from the Saudi nonprofit sector included Bunyan Charity, the National Developmental Housing Foundation (Sakan), Saudi Food Bank, and Alwdad Orphanage Care.
The participants exchanged best practices in non-profit governance and public-civil partnerships and identified areas for future collaboration aligned with national priorities and SDGS.
They also discussed the importance of shifting the mindset in the non-profit sector from one that focuses on charity to one of development, allowing for social innovation and entrepreneurship to support economic growth.
“At the U-Table, we had the opportunity to learn about how NCNP is partnering globally to advance non-profit solutions for a better world, solutions that support economic growth and innovation,” Sadakazu Ikawa, co-founder and Executive Director at the Trust Based Philanthropy Japan and Manager at the AVPN.
“We look forward to working with NCNP to activate solutions that help achieve sustainable development worldwide.”
In Osaka, the NCNP team also met with the Japan Foundation to explore opportunities for collaboration with Japanese entities and to exchange international expertise and best practices in the non-profit sector.
Under NCNP’s leadership, Saudi Arabia’s non-profit ecosystem has expanded rapidly. The number of registered NPOs surpassed 5,700 last year, with over 6,000 fundraising licenses issued and more than 2,000 active civil associations. Volunteerism has surged from just under 23,000 in 2015 to 1.2 million in 2024.
Thirty government entities now contribute to non-profit development, showing their rising national importance. Thus, NCNP continues to serve as the Kingdom’s catalyst for non-profit growth, linking local action with global collaboration to unlock sustainable impact.
French court tries couple accused of plan to ‘sacrifice’ son
- The two music teachers were arrested in southern Spain in late 2023
- The couple, who hold “anti-system” and “mystical” beliefs, vehemently reject their charges
BORDEAUX: A French couple went on trial on Thursday accused of planning to “sacrifice” their five-year-old son in the Moroccan desert, accusations they have strongly denied.
The two music teachers were arrested in southern Spain in late 2023 as they were about to board a ferry to Morocco after buying a new four-wheel-drive and subletting their apartment near the French city of Bordeaux.
An alarmed relative had told French prosecutors that the father intended to “sacrifice” his son in the desert because he believed he was “possessed,” the investigation showed.
The father, Florian L., denies ever having said that, his lawyer Audrey Boussillon said.
“Never did he have the intention to harm his son in any way,” she added.
The couple, who hold “anti-system” and “mystical” beliefs, vehemently reject the charges of being part of a criminal gang and failing in their duties as parents, their defense team has said.
The attorney for the mother Marie L., Aurelie Filippi-Codaccioni, said the couple had been to Morocco two years earlier and had wanted to return for an undetermined period.
But Merlene Labadie, a lawyer representing the interests of the child, said the couple’s beliefs endangered their son, who spoke of the importance of “being cold, scared and removing the snake within us” when found.
He is now in the custody of his maternal grandparents, she said.
The trial is to last a single day and the verdict will likely be announced at a later date.
Britain seeks German help against people smuggling gangs on landmark Merz visit
- Keir Starmer and Friedrich Merz signed the first ever ‘friendship treaty’ between their countries at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum
- Undocumented migration has become a major headache for Starmer’s year-old Labour government, as support for the anti-immigrant Reform UK party soars
LONDON: Britain sought a firm commitment Thursday from Germany to change its law to help smash people smuggling gangs, as the two countries agreed to boost defense ties on the first official UK visit by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The trip comes a week after undocumented migrants also topped the political agenda during a state visit to Britain by French President Emmanuel Macron.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Merz signed the first ever “friendship treaty” between their countries at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum before heading for talks at the PM’s Downing Street office.
Merz said London and Berlin had agreed an exchange program for German and British students.
Speaking in German, he said he believed allowing the “young generation” to get to know each other and their respective countries was a “good basis for the further development of our relations.”
The two leaders were also expected to unveil a deal to jointly produce military goods such as Boxer armored vehicles and Typhoon jets, which could lead to “billions of pounds of additional defense exports,” Downing Street said.
They were to commit to developing a precision strike missile with a range of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) in the next decade.
“Chancellor Merz’s commitment to make necessary changes to German law to disrupt the supply lines of the dangerous vessels which carry illegal migrants across the Channel is hugely welcome,” Starmer said ahead of the talks.
His office said it was hoped the German legal changes could be made “this year.”
Undocumented migration has become a major headache for Starmer’s year-old Labour government, as support for the upstart anti-immigrant Reform UK party soars.
More than 22,500 would-be asylum seekers have arrived on England’s southeastern coast by small boat from northern France this year alone.
The “friendship treaty” also seeks to improve post-Brexit ties with its neighbors.
Macron’s trip in early July was the first state visit to the country by a European Union head of state since Brexit — the UK’s acrimonious 2020 departure from the bloc.
A German government source said “we shouldn’t underestimate” how much relations with the UK had improved since the “traumatic” experience of Brexit.
The friendship deal would be a “foundation on which we go further to tackle shared problems,” Starmer said.
The two leaders were also to discuss continued support for Ukraine, with both countries expected to play a role in US President Donald Trump’s plan to send weapons to Kyiv with financing from other NATO countries.
The visit is Merz’s first to the UK as chancellor, although he has already met Starmer several times, including on a trip by train to Ukraine just days after he took office in early May.
The wide-ranging treaty will refer to the turbulent security situation faced by both countries, and include a mutual defense pact.
“There is no strategic threat to one which would not be a strategic threat to the other,” pact says, with a pledge the two countries “shall assist one another, including by military means, in case of an armed attack.”
While Britain and Germany already have a commitment to mutual defense as NATO members, the treaty aims to pave the way for greater defense cooperation, including operations on NATO’s eastern flank.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul accompanied Merz, meeting with his British counterpart, David Lammy.
On migration, Merz’s government is expected to make a commitment to modify German law by the end of the year to criminalize the facilitation of “illegal migration.”
This will include action against storage facilities used by migrant smugglers to conceal small boats intended for Channel crossings.
The two countries will also commit to improving train connections.
Last month Eurostar said it planned to launch a new route from London to Frankfurt in the early 2030s — the first such direct connection between the UK and Germany.
Czech-arranged ammunition shipments to Ukraine are increasing, says government
- Director Ales Vytecka of the defense ministry’s AMOS international cooperation agency said that so far this year, shipments totalled 850,000 shells
- This compares with 1.5 million total, including 500,000 155-mm shells, throughout 2024
PRAGUE: Czech-arranged shipments of artillery ammunition to Ukraine are rising this year, proving partners’ trust in a government program matching donations from NATO partners with offers to sell ammunition, the Czech Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
As Ukraine suffered from shortage of ammunition last year, the Czechs set up a team which has together with private companies searched for available ammunition stocks and new production around the world.
The available ammunition batches are being offered to donor countries, which then pick which they want to finance.
The program, which makes use of the Czechs’ traditional arms trading contacts, has been a flagship of the center-right government’s international efforts to help Ukraine fight Russia’s aggression. It has also donated heavy equipment and other material worth hundreds of millions of euros.
Director Ales Vytecka of the defense ministry’s AMOS international cooperation agency said that so far this year, shipments totalled 850,000 shells, including 320,000 NATO artillery 155mm calibre projectiles.
This compares with 1.5 million total, including 500,000 155-mm shells, throughout 2024.
Andrej Babis, head of the Czech opposition ANO party that leads opinion polls ahead of an election in October, vowed to scrap the initiative if ANO returns to power, saying in a Reuters interview this week the program was overpriced and untransparent.
Vytecka rejected criticism of drive, saying there was as much transparency as security concerns allowed.
“Clear and undeniable proof of the satisfaction of our partners is the fact that in 2025 donors’ contributions have significantly risen,” Vytecka said.
So far this year, contributions have risen by 29 percent compared with the whole of 2024, he said without giving concrete sums, adding that countries raising their contributions included Canada, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands and Denmark.
He said donor countries always decided themselves which supplies and at what prices they would finance, and the offers were subject to audits in individual donor countries.
The Czechs have mostly acted as an intermediary. The government said last year it allocated around 35 million euros for ammunition purchases from a Czech supplier.
