28/07/2025

MONDAY | JULY 28, 2025

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LONDON: Hundreds of people demonstrated in the streets of Aberdeen and Edinburgh on Saturday to protest against US President Donald Trump, who arrived in Scotland for a five-day visit. A group called “UK Stop Trump Coalition” posted videos on TikTok on Saturday, with one clip captioned, “Aberdeen is filling up with protesters against Donald Trump’s golfing visit.” Protesters held signs reading “Felon 47 not welcome here”, referencing Trump’s criminal conviction, and displayed photos of Trump alongside Jeffrey Epstein. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the William Wallace statue in central Aberdeen, where speakers included Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie, visitors and advocates for minority rights, according to local STV News. Protesters also raised concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Kirsty Haigh, a member of the “Scotland Against Trump” alliance, told local media that protesters from across Britain had united to oppose Trump and what she called his “politics of division”. She criticised Trump for using Scotland as a place to “cleanse his image”. Trump’s five-day visit to Scotland is scheduled to run until tomorrow. He is expected to spend time at both the Trump Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire and Trump International Scotland in Aberdeenshire. During his stay, he will also hold informal meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Scottish First Minister John Swinney. CNN reported that Trump’s trip to Scotland comes amid the political scandal over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, describing the visit as a “golf-heavy” escape from political tensions in Washington. – Bernama ATHENS: Greece battled wildfires that have ravaged homes and sparked evacuations for a second day yesterday, with the help of Czech firefighters and Italian aircraft expected to arrive later. Fires were still raging yesterday morning in the Peloponnese area west of the capital, as well as on the islands of Evia and Kythera, with aircraft and helicopters resuming their work in several parts of the country at dawn. Greece had earlier requested help from EU allies and two Italian aircraft were expected later yesterday, according to the fire brigade, with units from the Czech Republic already at work. Eleven regions of Greece still face a very high fire risk, according to officials. Firefighters are working in several areas of the Peloponnese and there were flare-ups overnight on the island of Evia, near Athens, where the flames have laid waste to swathes of forest and killed thousands of farm animals. – AFP ECUADOR DEPORTS MORE THAN 600 INMATES BOGOTA: Colombian authorities said on Saturday that Ecuador had deported about 600 Colombian prisoners via a land border crossing, after Bogota protested the action came without an agreement. Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa announced last year his intention to deport Colombian inmates to ease overcrowding in prisons. Small groups were transferred starting in April. But Colombian President Gustavo Petro opposed the move, saying that a joint plan was needed to safeguard the prisoners’ rights. “In the morning, 603 people arrived, 60 women and 543 men, and we completed the reception of them” at the Rumichaca border crossing in Carchi province, Colombia’s Acting Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio said. – AFP Hundreds protest Trump’s visit to Scotland GREECE GETS EU HELP TO BATTLE WILDFIRES

Concerned Australians rallying in central Melbourne yesterday. – AFPPIC

Israel announces pause CAIRO: The Israeli military announced yesterday a daily pause of its operations in parts of Gaza and the establishment of new aid corridors, after months of international pressure over a worsening hunger crisis. said it would work with partners including Jordan to assist them. In Ashdod, Israeli forces brought the humanitarian aid boat Handala into port yesterday, after seizing the vessel in international waters and detaining the crew. Campaigners from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition had attempted to breach an Israeli naval blockade but were intercepted late on Saturday. o Aid packages air dropped

the UK parliament. “Keir Starmer must stop defending the indefensible, finally find a backbone and demand that Israel ends its war now,” he said. If France formally recognises a Palestinian state it would be the first G7 country – and the most powerful European nation to date – to make the move. Starmer has come under rising domestic and international pressure over recognising Palestinian statehood, as opposition intensifies to the war in Gaza amid fears of mass starvation there. The SNP holds nine seats in the 650-seat UK parliament. – AFP number of trucks going into the Gaza Strip, and alleges that UN agencies and relief groups are not collecting the aid once it is inside the territory. But humanitarian organisations accuse the Israeli army of imposing excessive restrictions and tightly controlling road access. Al Qahera News TV said aid trucks have started moving towards Gaza from Egypt. Dozens of trucks carrying tonnes of aid moved towards the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing in southern Gaza, the Al Qahera correspondent said from the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza. Israel’s announcement on airdrops came after indirect ceasefire talks in Doha between Israel and Hamas were broken off with no deal in sight. The Israeli military said in a statement that the airdrops would be conducted in coordination with international aid organisations and would include seven pallets of aid containing flour, sugar and canned food. Palestinian sources confirmed that aid had begun dropping in northern Gaza. – Reuters/AFP

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The military said it would cease activity in Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City from 10am to 8pm until further notice, areas where it had not renewed ground operations since March, when it resumed its Gaza offensive. Designated secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine will also be in place permanently from 6am until 11pm, the military said. The Egyptian state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said yesterday that aid started moving towards Gaza from Egypt. Hours earlier Israel began aid airdrops in what it described as an effort to ease the humanitarian conditions in the enclave. Before Israel announced the delivery of seven aid packages, the United Arab Emirates had said it would restart aid drops and Britain

The legal rights centre Adalah told AFP its lawyers were in Ashdod and had demanded to speak to the 21-strong international crew, which includes two French parliamentarians and two Al Jazeera journalists. Humanitarian chiefs are deeply sceptical that air drops can deliver enough food to tackle the deepening hunger crisis facing Gaza’s more than two million inhabitants. They are instead demanding that Israel allow more overland convoys. “Air drops will not reverse the deepening starvation,” said Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. “They are expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians.” Israel’s military insists it does not limit the

UK party threatens to ‘force vote’ on Palestine LONDON: A minor opposition party in the British parliament yesterday threatened to bring forward legislation on recognising Palestinian statehood and “force a vote” if Prime Minister Keir Starmer continues to oppose the move. The SNP threat comes after more than 220 British MPs, including dozens from Starmer’s ruling Labour party, demanded on Friday that the UK government follow France and recognise a Palestinian state.

The call, in a letter signed by lawmakers from nine UK political parties, came less than 24 hours after French President Emmanuel Macron said that his country would formally do so at a UN meeting in September. “Unless Keir Starmer stops blocking UK recognition of Palestine, the SNP will introduce a Palestine Recognition Bill when Parliament returns in September and force a vote if necessary,” said Stephen Flynn, SNP’s leader in

The Scottish National Party (SNP), which pushes for the independence of Scotland, said it would table a “Palestine Recognition Bill” when parliament returns after its summer recess if Starmer did not change his position. The prime minister has committed to recognising Palestinian statehood but said it must be part of a peace process in the Middle East.