The Scottish Parliament voted to support an outright ban on fracking on Wednesday Scottish National party MSPs abstained following a debate that gave a strong indication of the changed nature of the new Holyrood chamber. While the vote is not a binding policy it represents a defeat for the SNP which supports a moratorium on fracking but has stopped short of backing a full ban.
Politicians and human rights campaigners have slammed the British army for sending troops to train and mentor authoritarian regimes like Turkey and Saudi Arabia, saying the “deeply concerning” practice needs to be addressed. Criticism came after it was revealed that British troops are taking part in a combined exercise in Turkey with Saudi, Qatari and Turkish troops.
Washington has asked Moscow not to conduct airstrikes against Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, otherwise known as al-Nusra Front Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reported that the US are worried that members of the “moderate opposition” could also be hit.
President Putin has authorised an aggressive military response to an intensification of NATO activity in the Baltic Sea, preparing Russia for a potential war with NATO and its allies. Russian ambassador to NATO, Alexander Grushko, said that the country is preparing a full-on military and political response to NATO’s hostile behavior in the area.
Poland are to deploy an additional 35,000 troops to its borders in order to prepare for a potential fight with Russia. Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz confirmed that a 35,000-member paramilitary force will be enrolled, aimed at countering a perceived threat from Russia. “Enrolment of the first members of the territorial defence force will start in September,” Macierewicz said at a conference of paramilitary organisations in Ostroda.