News

Sky News presenter Kay Burley is facing an Ofcom probe after she claimed the Palestinian ambassador to the UK said “Israel had it coming” when Hamas attacked. What did Kay Burley say? On October 10, 2023, Burley was interviewing Pat McFadden, the shadow chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, on her show Breakfast With Kay Burley. She asked him: “Will the shadow foreign secretary [David Lammy] sit with the Palestinian ambassador, appearing with him, at an event, given that the Palestinian ambassador basically said, the last couple of days, that ‘Israel had it coming’?” She repeated the same question to…

Gaza conflict sparks fears of wider confrontation The recent violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has raised concerns about the possibility of a broader regional war involving other actors, such as Hezbollah, Iran, and Egypt. The conflict, which started on May 10 after Hamas fired rockets at Jerusalem, has killed more than 200 Palestinians and 12 Israelis, and displaced tens of thousands of people in Gaza. The international community has been calling for an immediate ceasefire, but the efforts have been hampered by the lack of trust and dialogue between the parties. US President Joe Biden, who met with…

Severe weather warnings issued for eastern and northern Scotland The Met Office has issued red and amber weather warnings for parts of Scotland as Storm Babet is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds from Thursday to Saturday. The storm could cause flooding, landslides, power cuts, and travel disruption. The red warning, which means danger to life, covers parts of eastern Scotland, including Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth, and Aberdeen. The amber warning, which means be prepared, covers central and northern Scotland, including Glasgow, Stirling, Inverness, and Fort William. The Met Office advises people to avoid travelling in the affected areas…

The latest round of violence between Israel and Hamas has raised the specter of a wider regional conflict that could drag in major powers and destabilize the Middle East. Here are some of the factors that could escalate the situation and the implications for the world. The refugee crisis and Egypt’s role One of the immediate humanitarian consequences of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza is the displacement of thousands of Palestinians who have lost their homes or fled for safety. Many of them are seeking refuge in neighboring Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza and has a peace treaty…

How a family vacation turned into a nightmare Humza Yousaf, the First Minister of Scotland, is facing a personal tragedy as his mother-in-law, Elizabeth El-Nakla, is trapped in Gaza with her husband, Maged, amid the escalating violence between Israel and Hamas. The couple had gone to visit their relatives in Gaza for a family vacation, but they were unable to leave when the war broke out. The harrowing phone call that revealed their plight On Wednesday, SNP MP Chris Law revealed in the Commons during Prime Minister’s Questions that El-Nakla had made her “final goodbyes” to her family in a…

Ferry breakdown leaves passengers stranded A ferry service that connects Tarbert and Portavadie on the west coast of Scotland has been suspended indefinitely due to a technical issue with the vessel. The MV Isle of Cumbrae, which operates the route, suffered a malfunction on Monday and has not been able to resume service since then. The ferry operator, CalMac, said it was investigating the cause of the problem and looking for alternative options to redeploy another vessel from elsewhere in the network. However, no timetable has been given for when the service will resume, leaving passengers who rely on the…

A UK company has applied for planning permission to replace an existing 15-metre phone mast with a new 25-metre one in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire. The company says the new mast is necessary to improve connectivity and support the sharing of sites by different operators. Why is the new mast needed? The company behind the application is Icon Tower Infrastructure Group, a subsidiary of Radius Global Infrastructure, an international company that leases sites for electronic communications in 21 countries. Icon Tower says that the existing mast near Tannoch Drive, Lenziemill, cannot support the equipment that is now required to provide better…

What is Raisin Monday and why is it celebrated? Raisin Monday is a traditional event at the University of St Andrews, where thousands of students gather for a giant foam fight on the Lower College Lawn. The event is part of a larger celebration called Raisin Weekend, which follows a period of mentoring between older and newer students. The older students, called “parents”, adopt the first year students, called “children”, and help them adjust to the university life. The parents entertain their children with pranks and games, and give them a special gift, usually a strange object with a Latin…