News

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…

Unite union accuses Scottish Water of unfair treatment and bypassing collective bargaining A majority of the over 500 Unite members with Scottish Water have voted to strike over a pay and grading dispute. The union claims that the company has refused to make a fair pay offer for 2023 and has imposed a new reward system that is tied to the pay offer. The union also accuses Scottish Water of ignoring long-standing collective bargaining processes and trying to force through changes without consultation. The industrial action could take place in the coming weeks, unless Scottish Water agrees to negotiate with…

A new report by an international campaign group reveals the alarming scale and nature of online child sexual exploitation and abuse during the Covid-19 pandemic. Online child abuse images increased by 87% in two years The report, released by the WeProtect Global Alliance, shows an 87% increase in reported cases of online child abuse images to more than 32 million globally. The group collected data from law enforcement agencies, internet companies, civil society organizations and academic institutions from 40 countries. The report attributes the surge in online child abuse images to several factors, such as: Increased internet access and usage…

The mysterious clown of Skelmorlie A small village in Ayrshire, Scotland, has been terrorized by a creepy clown who has been stalking the streets at night. The clown, who calls himself Cole Deimos, dresses as Pennywise the Clown from Stephen King’s hit horror movie It. He has been posting pictures and videos of himself on social media, taunting the residents and the media. The clown claims that he just wants to play in the “sleepy village” and that he does not care about the police. He also says that he does not want fame, glory or gold, but only to…

A brutal attack on a Muslim family A 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy was stabbed to death and his mother was seriously injured by their landlord in Plainfield, Illinois, on Saturday. The attacker, Joseph Czuba, 71, allegedly targeted the mother and son with a 12-inch serrated military knife because of their religion and the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel. He reportedly yelled “you Muslims must die!” as he tried to choke the woman and stabbed her multiple times. The boy, Wadea al-Fayoume, had celebrated his birthday just a few weeks ago. He loved his family, his friends, soccer and basketball. He…

The aerospace engineering giant announced a major restructuring that will affect its global workforce and operations. Why is Rolls-Royce cutting jobs? Rolls-Royce said it aims to become a “simpler, more streamlined, organisation” through the process of cutting between 2,000 and 2,500 jobs across its global business. The company, which currently employs 42,000 people, said it also plans to remove “duplication” and deliver cost efficiencies through the shake-up. The move is part of a significant transformation plan that Rolls-Royce has been implementing since 2018 to improve its performance and competitiveness. The company has been struggling with the impact of the Covid-19…