Jessica Lee, director of research at the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, said: “MND is not common, its early signs can vary considerably and there is no single test that tells you conclusively that someone has it. That means people can move between different parts of the healthcare system before they reach the right specialist.
Billy Watson, 35, died after being injured at an address in Armadale, with police investigating a possible firearm being involved and a burnt-out car found nearby.
17:46, 13 Sep 2026Updated 18:12, 13 Sep 2026
A man who died in a suspected shooting in West Lothian has been named locally as Billy Watson. The 35-year-old died at the scene after he was injured at an address on Harestanes Road in Armadale on Saturday.
Emergency services descended on the town shortly before midday after police received a report of a man injured at the property around 11.50am. Billy, who was a dad, was pronounced dead at the scene and his next of kin has been informed.
Police have launched a major investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death, with forensic officers and detectives continuing to work at the scene.
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A police cordon remains in place on the residential street, while forensic officers have been seen examining a property, taking photographs and bagging items.
The area was also the focus of a major emergency service response, with an air ambulance deployed from Glasgow and tracked travelling towards Armadale before returning to the city.
At around 12pm on Saturday, officers received a separate report of a car on fire in the Netherhouses area, near Armadale.
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Scottish Fire and Rescue Service crews attended and extinguished the blaze. Police said there were no reports of injuries.
Officers are keeping an open mind but are investigating the two incidents as linked.
Police have said one line of inquiry is that a firearm may have been involved in the incident. No one has yet been arrested.
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A post-mortem examination will take place in due course and enquiries remain at an early stage.
Detective Superintendent Michelle Findlay, of the Major Investigations Team, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the man who has died in this incident.
“Officers remain in the area and anyone with concerns or any information can approach them or call us on 101, quoting incident number 1361 of Saturday, 12 September, 2026.”
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Pauline Stafford MSP for Bathgate, said she is “deeply concerned” about the incident, adding: “My thoughts are with the family and all of those affected. While investigations are at an early stage I would encourage anyone with information to share it with the Police.”
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Early on Monday morning, Kristersson said it remained unclear who would form the next government.
“The voters have had their say, but we still don’t have a final result. Which government will lead Sweden in the coming years is still an open question,” he told supporters.
No major media outlets have declared a winner yet.
Sweden uses a mandate distribution voting system, a proportional representation method to elect “mandates”, or “seats”, in the Riksdag – the Swedish parliament. A party needs at least 4% of the vote to enter parliament.
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With 94% of votes reported, the left-wing bloc led by the Social Democrats was ahead with 176 mandates compared to the right-wing bloc’s 173.
Sweden has two major political blocs featuring four parties on the right and four on the left – meaning coalition and minority governments are relatively common.
On Sunday night, Andersson – the leader of the country’s main opposition party – urged supporters to wait for the final result, but added that if the current results hold, “Sweden will have a new government.”
Her party, the Social Democrats, have been a major force in Swedish politics since the end of World War Two.
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But SD – founded by Nazi sympathisers in the 1980s – had been shunned for years until 2022 when it became the country’s second largest party after campaigning on violent crime and immigration.
Both Andersson’s party and the far-right SD have lost support, according to early count results.
As of Monday morning, the Social Democrats were on track for their worst result in more than a century with 28 per cent, while the count showed the far-right SD party was losing support for the first time since 2010 when it entered the Riksdag.
Other parties comprising the left-wing bloc, including the Left Party, Greens and Centre Party have increased their support.
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Turnout also dropped to approximately 80%, down four points compared to the 2022 poll.
After casting her vote on Sunday, Andersson laid out the choice facing the Swedish public: “Should we have a government entirely dominated by the Sweden Democrats, something that has never happened in Sweden before? Or should we have a government led by me, which will steer Sweden in a new spirit of co-operation?”
Kristersson, for his part, said it was important he and his alliance were able to continue their work.
“I think there is a genuine enthusiasm for us being able to continue our important work,” he said after casting his ballot in his home municipality of Strangnas.
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National security, gang crime and welfare spending dominated the election campaign.
The 63-year-old won nine leagues and seven Irish Cups in his 17 years with Linfield. But this season could not have started much worse
22:50, 13 Sep 2026Updated 22:55, 13 Sep 2026
David Jeffrey admits he wouldn’t blame Portadown fans for questioning his appointment after starting the season with six straight defeats.
The latest loss was particularly hard to swallow as they were beaten 2-0 at home by a Larne side who had Kevin O’Hara sent off in the 26th minute for a high boot that left Lewis MacKinnon with a bloody nose.
Portadown were already a goal behind at that stage and they failed to make the extra man count, leaving Jeffrey exasperated at the final whistle.
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Reflecting on the campaign so far, the 63-year-old, who won nine leagues and seven Irish Cups in his 17 years with Linfield, said: “It has been challenging. We’ve had our difficulties.
“It certainly isn’t what I expected. It certainly isn’t what other people expected.
“But we find ourselves in the situation that we find ourselves in. You simply stand tall and go forward again.
“Regardless of how challenging it is, I didn’t think it was going to be in this situation. I’m sure supporters weren’t either, and I wouldn’t blame supporters for asking, ‘What on earth are we doing bringing that man Jeffrey in?’. I wouldn’t blame them, absolutely not.
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“All I know is that every hour of every day, time has been given to Portadown Football Club, and we have tried to do so much so quickly, but through all of that work, all of what we’ve done, we are being severely punished for individual errors, and for errors which are preventable.”
School lunch classics like fish and chips will be overhauled as part of a Government war on childhood obesity.
From next September, schools will no longer be allowed to serve deep-fried foods – and every meal must come with vegetables or salad.
It means the traditional ‘fish and chips Friday’ lunches loved by many pupils will still be permitted, but must be prepared using oven baking instead.
In addition, sweetened desserts such as cake, waffles and ice cream can only be served twice a week in secondary schools, and once in primary schools – and must include a portion of fruit.
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Previously, cakes and desserts were allowed every lunchtime.
The new food standards, published by the Department for Education (DfE), were developed alongside nutritionists and are backed by campaigners including TV chef Jamie Oliver and actress Dame Emma Thompson.
However, last night the Tories criticised the reforms, saying there are ‘much bigger things on the nation’s plate’.
Matt Vickers, party deputy chairman, said: ‘Our Armed Forces are crumbling, but Andy Burnham has decided his priority is taking pudding off the menu.
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School lunch classics like fish and chips will be overhauled as part of a Government war on childhood obesity (file image)
‘The only thing wobblier than Andy Burnham’s defence policy is the jelly he’s trying to ban.’
Under the new rules, all bread must be at least half wholemeal in its composition – whereas previously it could be all white.
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There are also new restrictions on processed meat products, such as sausages and chicken nuggets, which can only be served once a week.
And all pasta must be at least 50 per cent wholewheat at must be served least once a week, as must pulses such as lentils.
Condiments will also have new regulations, with only reduced salt and sugar ketchup permitted and chocolate spread not allowed.
Meanwhile, breakfast clubs, which previously had no specifications, must not include pastries, fried eggs and high-sugar cereals.
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Other restrictions will be placed on sugary drinks and foods high in fat and salt such as pizzas and sausage rolls.
Each school will be expected to publish their menus and food policies online to help boost compliance.
From next September, schools will no longer be allowed to serve deep-fried foods – and every meal must come with vegetables or salad (Pictured: Education Secretary Lucy Powell)
They will also be expected to nominate a school food governor who will hold schools to account for the meals on offer.
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The DfE will work with the Food Standards Agency on a plan to monitor schools, with details to follow in the coming months.
The changes come in response to data showing around one in three children are leaving primary school overweight or obese, while tooth decay is the leading cause of hospital admissions for youngsters aged five to nine.
Education Secretary Lucy Powell said: ‘These are once-in-a-generation changes that will transform school food for children across the country.
‘This is what change looks like: healthier food, fuller stomachs and a fairer start for every child.’
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However, Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the ASCL heads’ union, said: ‘The current funding rate for free school meals is not enough to cover costs and many schools have to divert money from teaching and learning in order to afford this vital provision.
‘It is a case of having to rob Peter to pay Paul.’
NFL fans were left in raptures by an ‘incredible’ performance of the US national anthem ahead of the New York Giants‘ season opener.
The Giants faced divisional rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, in Week 1 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday night – just two days after the 25th anniversary of 9/11 was commemorated in New York.
The New York franchise honored the victims of the attacks with a touching pregame ceremony before a joint NYPD-FDNY quintet performed the Star-Spangled Banner.
The quintet, dressed in uniform, delivered a beautiful a cappella rendition of the national anthem.
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The ‘gorgeous’ performance on an emotional occasion for the city of New York and the neighboring areas was praised by gushing fans on social media.
‘Goosebumps. Full body goosebumps. Absolutely gorgeous rendition of the National Anthem,’ one social media user wrote on X.
In a week of remembrance across the United States, the Joint NYPD FDNY Quintet sings the National Anthem ahead of kickoff. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/9Y4YTDYNI6
NFL fans were left in raptures by an ‘incredible’ performance of the US national anthem
The New York Giants held a pregame ceremony to honor the victims of the 9/11 attacks
‘Incredible national anthem. Well done, New York. Never forget,’ shared another.
A third said that they had ‘chills during that National Anthem.’
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A fourth posted: ‘Nice job on the National Anthem. And the right people to do it. #SNF.’
‘Amazing National Anthem. God bless America,’ gushed a fifth, as another added: ‘Beautiful 9/11 tribute, National Anthem, and pregame festivities in NY.’
Before the national anthem was performed the Giants commemorated the 25th anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers.
The spectators inside MetLife Stadium remembered the victims of the attacks with a moment of silence.
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During the stadium-wide remembrance, a photo montage, provided by season ticket members, of lives lost on 9/11 was displayed on the videoboards.
Two columns of light were illuminated in one endzone, replicating the image of the fallen towers into the night sky.
The Giants players took the field accompanied by a motorcade of police motorcycles
Players and coaches from both the Giants and the Cowboys wore commemorative t-shirts
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Fireworks illuminate the sky above MetLife Stadium during the Star-Spanged Banner
Earlier in the evening, fans arriving at MetLife Stadium were welcomed by Ladder 343, a ceremonial FDNY firetruck named to honor the 343 members of the FDNY who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
Outside the gates of the stadium, The Tunnel to Towers Foundation also concluded their Steel Across America tour with an authentic steel beam from the World Trade Center displayed, creating a visible reminder of the resilience and unity that emerged in the aftermath of 9/11.
Players and coaches from both the Giants and the Cowboys wore commemorative NYPD, FDNY and PAPD pregame apparel, along with ‘Never Forget’ t-shirts.
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Meanwhile, the Giants took the field led by New York City first responders, who formed a gauntlet for the team to run through.
Giants legends from the 2001 team, including Jessie Armstead, Tiki Barber, Kerry Collins and Jason Sehorn, joined uniformed first responders for the ‘Go Big Blue’ chant before kickoff.
Marvel’s Wolverine – that’s not Hugh Jackman (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
The Monday letters page tries to decide whether Marvel’s Wolverine is worth the money, as one reader sides with Sony over Hideo Kojima.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Binary choice So it was a bit of a bad time for Sony execs last week, I guess. Or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe they were just laughing away in their gold-plated boardroom, knowing that they’re making tons of money no matter what they do or what we say. But somehow I doubt it; last week had to have hurt.
The reason they haven’t seemed to care before, and have never replied to any complaints, is that no matter how many issues there were people still bought their games. But now their only big game is getting bad reviews and people are not stopping complaining about the lack of discs.
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A lot of fans will be asking themselves, is Marvel’s Wolverine worth getting at full price? I haven’t played t obviously, but I’m not willing to give it a chance, based on being upset with Sony and the mixed reviews. To me, it seems like the sort of thing that would be a fun waste of time in six months’ time, when it’s half the price.
Except we all know it’ll probably take years for it to get that cheap, so your only option is full price or not at all. And I’ve got to say, the not at all option is looking like the right one at the moment. Gannet
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Normal reaction Having not read a comic book in my life I’m not sure what the appeal is of Wolverine originally but I’d say to most casual gamers it begins and ends with Hugh Jackman. The fact that he’s not involved in any way with the new game, and it’s even more obviously not then MCU than the Spider-Man games, is going to be a problem for the game.
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I don’t want to jinx things for Insomniac, as I usually like their stuff, but I was disappointed when I found out what their next game was going to be and I tend to agree that Wolverine just isn’t that interesting a character to be the only playable one in a game. I’ll be very interested to see how it sells, if there’s ever any way to really tell, but I do fear that Sony will have the industry standard knee jerk reaction if it does badly. Keef
Future problems As much as I agree with Sony being public enemy number one at the moment, I don’t really think that the Hideo Kojima situation is them being particularly unfair. The only mistake they made is getting involved with him in the first place and I think they’re being sensible by not going for another sunk cost fallacy and carrying on into the game’s inevitable disappointment.
The bigger fools here are Xbox, who are backing him just so they can look good in front of fans. But the whole problem is that not that many people really care about Kojima’s games. So in seven years time, and $200 million later, I think they’re going to understand exactly why Sony backed out when they did. Korbie
Japanese only I have not written in for some time; to be honest, with everything that has been happening with games industry lately I have not had much interest in keeping up with the news. But the actions of one particular company has stuck out like a sore thumb and that’s Sony. Ever since they have moved their main HQ for the Playstation brand to the US, they have become a greedy and arrogant spoilt little brat. They are the market leaders so any decision they make will have big impact, they know this and they don’t care.
Sony has lost the plot!
Nintendo, ironically, have become the heroes of the industry, by not competing directly with Sony or Xbox they have managed to place themselves in a favourable position with many gamers, more so with their latest Nintendo Direct. In fact, I would argue that the only three Japanese companies that are probably leading the market for real gamers are Nintendo, Capcom, and FromSoftware. They are the only reason I am still interested in gaming. Sony has ruined it for us, it’s sad to see the industry in this state and it’s the greed of the Western companies that is to blame.
I will not be buying a PlayStation 6. In fact, I have just managed to pre-order my Zelda: Ocarina Of Time themed Switch 2 console, albeit with much difficulty. But that’s a rant for another time. But the Switch 2 will now be my go-to console. I am done with Sony and I imagine many others will be too. F_EpicX
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Strange choices Just finished my first playthrough of Resident Evil Requiem. Did Capcom bottle the ending? Without spoiling it, why did they do what they did?
On the Wolverine game and your review. I’ll not get to play it, but why wouldn’t they do a multi-mutant game with several interweaving stories, so the powers wouldn’t be limited to jumping, stabbing, and probably sniffing? Wolverine was always overrated and the three films made around him were mostly boring. He was more entertaining in the ensemble films. Bobwallett
GC: There’s substantial evidence that Capcom completely changed the ending and, ultimately, the whole direction of the plot, fairly late in development. That’s pretty obvious from the fact that the reason they kidnap Grace at the beginning of the game has nothing to do with why they want her at the end.
Head expansion As seen on Friday, yes, Sony has left PlayStation in ashes now. I was always standing up for Sony but not anymore. They started getting big headed as soon as pre-orders went live on the PlayStation 4 console, they knew from pre-orders that they were going to smash it and ever since then their heads have got bigger.
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First it was prices going up on PlayStation Plus and blaming other things, other than them wanting more money in their pockets, while offering free games that are at least five years old and saying, ‘Look what we are giving you for that money!’ Then swapping the pre-order to payment as soon as you pre-order and you will never get your money back in cash thanks to their terms and conditions.
But for me, the one thing that did it for me was physical games. Coming out with rubbish like it will help on console prices in the long run, while selling the PS5 Pro with a disc drive sold separately, they have got so stuck up I’m sure they make an appointment to scratch their head.
Sony’s tagline was 4 the Gamers and for some reason it’s changed to 4 our Pockets. For me, gaming will never be the same now. For me at one point my console was on every day at night, playing online. Now I haven’t turned it on for about four months and I haven’t had PlayStation Plus for about four years and if GTA Online 2 is another charge or a subscription services I won’t be playing online again. David
Sad reality Very sad to see that the developer of Moss Book 1and 2, Polyarc, has shut down. I really enjoyed both games, I have the first game on physical for PlayStation 4 for PlayStation VR1 and the second game digitally on PlayStation 5 on PlayStation VR2.
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If you have not played these games and you have VR I highly recommend them, they are very beautiful games with good gameplay and a good story. The games were also released for non-VR in July this year. Andrew J. Currently watching: Secret Level (Prime Video)
GC: That is very sad, they were great games. But unfortunately, VR’s big moment seems to be over now, especially in terms of consoles.
New wave Nintendo With only the colour green in the heads of execs at Microsoft and Sony, everything is in its right place for Nintendo.
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The usual retort is that Nintendo are no angels either and only in it for the money too. But there are many ways of making money, that as Nintendo testify, does not necessarily entail shafting your employees, following the latest fad, disregarding the fanbase, destroying the brand, and potentially even the company. You can care about the games, maintain certain ethical standards, and still come out on top, the Nintendo way.
They’re far from perfect. Have they made missteps? Many. Are those missteps understandable? In most part. Have they made some odd decisions this generation? Sure. But as one reader points out, we don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. Their ruthless pursuit of excellence and reluctance to stick to the formula, which are feathers in their cap, could well explain why their most popular franchises are missing in action. They’re simply not up to scratch, yet.
Regardless, and for several important reasons I don’t have time to elaborate, they’re now in the driving seat and were it not for this the industry would certainly be heading towards a total car crash. Zelda: Ocarina Of Time looks wonderful. I cannot understand those who think otherwise. And it makes a few essential tweaks to sort out issues that current gamers would find hard to tolerate.
Nobody mentioned the incredible water effects in the trailer. If that doesn’t make you pine for a Wave Race 64 remake, better still a new entry, nothing will. Ciara
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Inbox also-rans What is the cheapest way to get Game Pass Ultimate? Someone last week, I think, wrote on here a cheap way of getting it (£7 a month?). Thanks in advance. Gorgeous
GC: We don’t recall anything last week but we’re sure a reader will write in with some advice.
Nice Reader’s Feature about Star Wars Zero Company at the weekend. My experience has been very similar and I just hope the developer can keep going. They released another patch so I’m hoping that’s a good sign. Watson
The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.
You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.
You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.
The Welsh actress said she wouldn’t have been able to walk down the street in Swansea if she said yes to going on the show
Catherine Zeta-Jones has revealed that she’s turned down an acclaimed series three times because of her love for Swansea City. She said that had she accepted the role she wouldn’t have been able to show her face in her hometown of Swansea.
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In an interview with The Times, the actor said she’d been asked to be on “Welcome to Wrexham”, which charts the exploits of Wrexham AFC, three times but said there was no way she could say yes due to her love for the Swans.
“I am from Swansea. How the hell can I walk down the street if I’m on Welcome to Wrexham?,” said Zeta-Jones.
The Hollywood actress has previously shared her love for the Championship side when she celebrated the Welsh side’s 2-1 win over Manchester United in 2015 by “adopting” a family of inflatable swans for the swimming pool of her New York home.
However, despite her love for her home country, Zeta-Jones told the newspaper that she has no plans to move back to Wales despite her parents, one of her brothers, Lyndon, and some of her nieces, nephews and godchildren still living here.
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Although she looks set to stay in New York, her adopted American roots haven’t stopped her having one regret about learning the Welsh language.
She told The Times: “I speak very little Welsh. I was a precocious, obnoxious nine-year-old who said: ‘Why would I need to learn a language that I can only speak here? When I really need to go somewhere else?’
“It rings in my ears because now, yeah, I speak French, I speak Spanish and all my nieces and nephews and godkids all speak in Welsh.
“When you think of the artists who have come from where I was born — Stanley Baker, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Anthony Hopkins, Richard Burton, Bonnie Tyler… There’s something in the water there,” she added.
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For the first time in her 50-year career, Zeta-Jones will play someone from Swansea, as Jackie Price, the antiheroine in the upcoming Amazon Prime show Kill Jackie. The eight-part series based on a novel by Nick Harkaway will air on October 2.
Reflecting on being able to use her accent in work, Zeta-Jones said: “People were, like, ‘Thank God she’s using her Welsh accent.’ I think the response was that it’s time for me to be Welsh.”
Price, a former cocaine queenpin turned almost above-board art dealer, is wry, dry and unsettling. “She has no filter,” Zeta-Jones says. “There’s a quirkiness of women in Wales that I love.”
The decoration can bring a bit of Wizarding World magic into your own home this Christmas
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With Christmas frequently being referred to as a magical time of year, it’s no surprise that it’s also a special time for fans of the Wizarding World. Longtime fans of the Harry Potter series will no doubt want to add their own magical flair to Christmas this year.
Fortunately, M&S is offering fans the opportunity to deck out their home with their very own visage of the iconic Hogwarts. The Light Up Harry Potter Hogwarts Decoration is perfect for any Harry Potter Fans who have some festive space that needs to be filled on their mantle.
It’s important to note that the deal abnove also includes free click and collect with M&S. However, customers who want it delivered straight to their door will need to pay an extra £3.99 for standard delivery.
The Harry Potter Light Up Hogwarts Decoration allows fans to have the silhouette of the iconic wizarding school on their mantle. Equipped with warm glow lights, the decoration is capable of providing extra ambience throughout your festive celebrations.
It’s also easy to place the decoration wherever suitable, thanks to the decoration being powered by batteries, avoiding the need to awkwardly place it near a mains plug. Extending to 17cm in length, it is also capable of covering a vast area in your home.
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However, if you want something a little different, you could snap up the Floating Santa Sleigh, which is available on Amazon for £31. This Santa’s Sleigh figure can make the perfect centrepiece for your holiday decorations and can be placed on a shelf or even at the dinner table.
Otherwise, you could snap up the Christmas Gnome Plush Decorations Figures, which are available on Amazon for £3.99. This festive gnome comes with built-in lighting and can be placed throughout the house as a versatile decoration.
Currently, there are no reviews available for the Harry Potter Light Up Hogwarts Decoration; however, customers should note that due to its long length, the decoration may be unsuitable for smaller shelves and tables. Furthermore, if you plan on having it on throughout the winter, you may need to frequently swap out the battery.
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How to get the Harry Potter Light Up Hogwarts Decoration for FREE via TopCashback
The key question about the UK’s decision to ban trade in goods and services from illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is whether – and how – such a ban can be enforced. To answer this question, it’s worth looking at how such sanctions are already enforced in similar situations.
Blood diamonds, the precious stones whose proceeds are used to finance war, are often cited as an example of the way countries can avoid trading in commodities that can contribute to harm. But the goods and services involved in the sanctions on West Bank settlements are far less valuable.
Exports include agricultural products like dates and olives, supporting – according UK foreign secretary to Ed Miliband – settler terrorism and ethnic cleansing. While blood olives might not have the same ring to it, enforcement challenges are similar to those with blood diamonds.
The announced sanctions have been widely reported as impossible to implement. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has previously expressed “reasonable concern” that the enforceability of sanctions would be undermined because distinctions between the internationally recognised area of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories are not applied consistently. The FCDO also expressed concerns about over-compliance with sanctions and unintended consequences.
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The sanctions build on existing law. The FCDO strongly advises “against conducting any economic and financial activities in illegal Israeli settlements”. Since 2005, products produced in Israeli settlements located within the territories occupied by Israel since 1967 are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment upon entry into the United Kingdom. A list of non-eligible locations is published at postcode level.
Provenance is important for many products, especially in the agri-food sector. But establishing the origin of products is challenging. In the West Bank, boundaries are more political than geographical. Olive trees in illegal settlements and neighbouring core Israeli territory are likely to share climate, geology, and even their irrigation water sources. This makes the olives indistinguishable.
With no way to determine the precise origin of all products imported from the West Bank, origin becomes a paper claim. The responsibility for verifying that claim lies with customs authorities. This is a significant challenge for often already stretched resources.
In the EU and UK, products from illegal settlements do not receive the same preferential treatment as products from other parts of Israel. Nevertheless, analysis from the Israel corporate and legal watchdog, the Global Echo Litigation Center of 30,000+ trade records estimates roughly one-fifth of Israeli shipments to the EU originate from a settlement.
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Products originating from the West Bank at the Israel Products Center (IPC). IPC is challenging the upcoming ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank at the court in The Hague. Sem Van Der Wal/ ANP
Their report highlights methods of obscuring or falsifying product origin. Some exporters include the postcode of an illegal settlement as the true origin of the product, claiming the location is in Israel. Others provide a false address within Israel. True origin can also be obscured by mixing products from Israel with those from settlements. This typically happens during packaging or further processing, for example of grapes to wine or olives into oil.
How sanctions can be enforced
Many other schemes exist to prevent products reaching certain markets. A prominent example is the Kimberley Process, which came into force in 2003 to stop the trade in blood diamonds. The cost of its certification processes and audits is trivial compared to the value of the diamonds and there are relatively few production points for diamonds. Nevertheless, the Kimberley Process has faced criticism for enabling diamond laundering. The cost of certification is more significant for products with a lower unit value, such as the ones exported from the West Bank.
An example of origin verification of agricultural products is the EU Deforestation Regulation, which aims to guarantee that the products EU citizens consume do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation. Its requirement to submit precise origin information along the whole supply chain has been postponed twice because of the high implementation cost.
A winemaker in the Psagot winery in West Bank, just north of Jerusalem. These wines will be subject to sanction under the trade ban. EPA/Jim Hollander
The simplified package, to be enforced from December 2026, is estimated to represent a roughly 75% cut in compliance costs compared to the original design. Detailed origin verification, as will be needed to enforce the announced sanctions on illegal settlements, is expensive.
The US’s Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act takes an alternative approach that shifts the burden of proof to importers. Importers have to provide clear and convincing evidence that any goods from the affected region are made without forced labour. They are then placed on a list of permitted importers. This approach could provide a blueprint for prior approval of entities rather than retrospective scrutiny of individual shipments from the West Bank.
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For Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, sanctions are in place prohibiting imports from non-government controlled Ukrainian territory.
The difference here is that Ukraine is involved in certifying origin. All goods from the West Bank, whether Palestinian exports or from settlements, depart through Israeli ports under Israeli authority. And, as Global Echo’s research has shown, these have been found to be untrustworthy on questions of origin certification.
This has design implications for supply chains that include products from the West Bank. Origin has to be established before exporting. A clear chain of custody must preserve identity and segregation so products of different origins are not mixed. Otherwise a ban on imports from the illegal settlements is meaningless.
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Combined with shifting the burden of proof to a limited list of importers, a chain of custody could make the announced sanctions actually enforceable.
Unintended consequences
There are also concerns about unintended consequences of the announced sanctions. In terms of supply chains, these might include damage to trade with Israel, which includes pharmaceutical products, cosmetics and technology.
And, if new rules and regulations are seen as complex, they might deter companies from importing from the West Bank entirely, to the detriment of Palestinian exporters.
Ultimately, the question is not whether the UK can differentiate between settlement olives and Israeli ones. It is a question of who bears the cost of proving origin. Main UK imports from the occupied Palestinian territories include fruits and vegetables, as well as oils and fats.
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Many Palestinians in the West Bank depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Unless proof of origin is designed into supply chains, they will be the most severely affected.
Jemima Goldsmith – whose first husband, the cricket legend Imran Khan, is seriously ill in prison in Pakistan – has got married for a second time.
The Daily Mail can disclose that Jemima, 52, an award-winning film producer and close friend of the late Princess Diana, exchanged vows at the weekend with Cameron O’Reilly, 62.
The Irish-Australian is the son of Sir Anthony O’Reilly, the late media magnate and international rugby star.
The Mail on Sunday revealed in May that the pair had become engaged after a year-long romance.
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Jemima’s brother Ben Goldsmith confirmed that the couple had got married and his wife, Jemima Jones, wrote online: ‘What a happy day!’
The newlyweds are understood to have met while Cameron was working as an executive producer on several documentaries and films.
He has four children while Jemima has two sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, with Imran, the former Pakistan cricket captain who became prime minister of his country.
Jemima and her sons are campaigning for his release from prison, where he has been languishing since 2023 on charges of corruption, which he vigorously denies.
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Jemima Goldsmith, 52, married a multi-millionaire financier this week (Goldsmith is pictured in July 2023)
She tied the knot with Cameron O’Reilly (pictured), a smart meter and software investor and the son of Sir Anthony O’Reilly – the late media magnate and international rugby star
Goldsmith’s first marriage was with cricket legend Imran Khan (The couple are pictured at their wedding in 1995)
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After their nine-year marriage ended in 2004, Jemima had high-profile relationships with actor Hugh Grant, comedian Russell Brand and The Crown scriptwriter Peter Morgan.
A friend of Jemima and Cameron told the Daily Mail previously that the couple were friends ‘for a while’ before their relationship became romantic.
The source added: ‘They first met through work and were friends for a while before that. They have been together as a couple for just over a year. He’s a very private person and Jemima is determined to protect that.’
It is understood that many of Jemima’s family, including her brother Robin Birley, owner of London club 5 Hertford Street, have met Cameron and get on very well with him.
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The Oxford graduate spent a decade working in his father’s media empire, Independent News & Media, and later the Australian group APN News & Media before stepping down as chief executive in 2000.
In 2003, he launched private equity fund Bayard Capital, buying the Swiss metering company Landis+Gyr. He served as chief executive before selling it to Toshiba for $2.3billion in 2011.
The wedding comes almost a year after the death of Jemima’s mother, Lady Annabel Goldsmith, the socialite after whom Annabel’s nightclub in Mayfair is named. Jemima’s father, the billionaire tycoon Sir James Goldsmith, died in 1997.
Khan (pictured in 2022) is being held in conditions described as ‘barbaric’ in a Pakistani prison
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Jemima, an award-winning documentary maker, has meanwhile been campaigning for the release of Khan, from whom she divorced in 2005.
The ex-cricketer turned politician was jailed in 2023 for corruption and remains behind bars after receiving further sentences in December last year in cases that he says are politically motivated.
Lawyers said last month that Khan’s health had deteriorated in jail conditions described as ‘barbaric’, prompting intervention from a Supreme Court which saw him transferred to a private hospital.
However, he was briefly taken instead to a government hospital where he was deemed fit to return to his cell – despite him reportedly losing 85 per cent of his vision in his right eye due to a blood clot.
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Khan and Jemima’s sons, Sulaiman and Kasim, accused the British government of insufficient support and are hopeful to speak with Prime Minister Andy Burnham about it.
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