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☆ UK's Sunak: Concerns about Scotland's gender reforms should be examined
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - British Prime Minster Rishi Sunak said it was "completely reasonable" for his government to examine transgender reforms passed in Scotland on Thursday given concerns raised by campaigners about the impact on women's safety. "Lots of people have got concerns about this new bill in Scotland, about the impact it will have on women and children's safety," he told reporters on Friday. The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) bill, which was backed by the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) and other parties in the country's devolved parliament except for the Conservatives, passed by 86 votes to 39. Supporters of the bill, however, said the reforms benefit transgender people and pose no threat to women's rights. "Any attempt by the UK government to undermine the democratic will of the Scottish parliament will be vigorously contested by the Scottish government."

Ashton also questioned how Mas’ud came to be in custody in the U.S. — something that remains unclear. Late last month, local Libyan media reported that Mas’ud had been kidnapped by armed men from his residence in Tripoli, the capital. He was convicted of 270 counts of murder, was given a life sentence and was the only person convicted for their involvement in Lockerbie. The release was met with scenes of jubilation in Libya, where al-Megrahi was greeted by thousands of well-wishers in the capital, Tripoli. He is among the victims’ family members who question the evidence used to convict al-Megrahi in 2001.

☆ Lockerbie bombing: Suspect to make first court appearance on Monday in DC
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Devan Cole | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —A Libyan man accused of being involved in making the bomb that destroyed Pan Am flight 103 over the town of Lockerbie in December 1988 is expected to make an initial court appearance Monday afternoon during an arraignment hearing in Washington, DC. Authorities in the US and Scotland announced Sunday that the suspect, Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi, is now in US custody. Al-Marimi is expected to be arraigned later Monday at a federal court in Washington. The chief legal officer of the Scottish government will meet with US prosecutors in Washington “next week” regarding the Lockerbie investigation, they said in a statement Monday. Megrahi was sentenced in 2001 to 27 years in prison, but was released from prison after being diagnosed with cancer.

☆ Timeline: The Lockerbie bombing: Who? What? When?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The bombing kills all 259 people aboard the Boeing 747 jumbo jet and 11 residents of the town of Lockerbie. * On Aug. 15, 2003, Libya, in a letter to the United Nations, accepts responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing. On Sept. 12, the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopts a resolution lifting sanctions imposed on Libya over the bombing. * On Aug. 20, 2009, the Scottish government releases Megrahi after his lawyer says the prisoner has been diagnosed with advanced stage prostate cancer. * On Dec. 11, 2022, Scottish and U.S. law enforcement officials announce that Mas'ud is in U.S. custody.

☆ Libyan taken into US custody accused of building the bomb that destroyed a Boeing 747 flying from London to New York, killing 270 people
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Libyan accused of building the bomb that destroyed Pan Am flight 103 in 1988 has been taken into US custody. Eleven people in the Scottish town of Lockerbie were also killed when the plane crashed. All 243 passengers and 16 crew on board the flight, including 190 Americans, were killed when Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed mid-flight. Eleven people in the Scottish town of Lockerbie also died when the Boeing 747 plane crashed on December 21, 1988. The only person convicted of the Pan Am 103 bombing is Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, head of security for Libyan Arab Airlines.

☆ UK strikes to hit ambulance services, hospitals and trains in the run up to Christmas
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

More than 10,000 ambulance workers represented by the GMB Union will strike again on December 28. Ambulance workers, like others in the UK National Health Service (NHS), “are on their knees,” according to GMB national secretary Rachel Harrison. According to The Times, one million UK workers are set to strike in December and January. The union said that critical care will be exempt from strike action but non-critical services will have lower staffing levels. The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents 115,000 postal workers, has notified Royal Mail of additional walkouts on December 9, 11, 14 and 15.

☆ Scotland cannot hold an independence referendum without UK government approval, top court rules
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — The U.K.'s Supreme Court on Wednesday told the Scottish government it cannot hold a fresh independence referendum without the U.K. government's consent. Supreme Court President Lord Reed said in broadcast remarks that the Scottish Parliament did not have the power to legislate on matters reserved to the U.K. Parliament, including the union. A referendum was held in in September 2014 in which Scotland voted to remain in the U.K. by 55% to 45%. The Scottish National Party, which backs independence, became a major political force when it won a majority in the Scottish Parliament in the 2011 election. "However, we must be clear today that the Supreme Court does not make the law — it interprets and applies it," she continued.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP), announced earlier this year that she intended to hold an advisory independence vote on Oct. 19, 2023, but that it had to be lawful and internationally recognised. Polls suggest voters remain evenly split over whether or not they support independence and a vote would be too close to call. The Scottish government's most senior law officer had asked the UK Supreme Court whether the Scottish government could pass legislation paving the way for an advisory second referendum without the approval of the UK parliament. "The Scottish parliament does not have the power to legislate for a referendum on Scottish independence," said Robert Reed, the president of the UK Supreme Court. Under the 1998 Scotland Act, which created the Scottish parliament and devolved some powers from Westminster, all matters relating to the Union of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England are reserved to the UK parliament.

☆ Fact Check-Scottish Government did not deem wearing masks ‘harmful’
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Social media posts and a blog article circulating online baselessly claim the Scottish Government indicated that the wearing of face coverings is harmful. The government made no such acknowledgement but relaxed guidance on mask-wearing after a decline in COVID-19 infections and severity. The government removed the recommendation for social care staff and visitors to consistently wear face masks, however did not state that masks were harmful here . The Scottish Government relaxed guidance on mask-wearing in social care settings after a decline in COVID-19 cases and severity. It did not say masks were harmful.

☆ UK trial will inject hydrogen into a gas-fired, grid-connected power station
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Angel Garcia | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesHydrogen will be injected into a gas-fired, grid-connected power station during a trial project set to last 12 months, in the latest example of how major companies are looking to integrate the energy carrier into their operations and existing infrastructure. In a statement earlier this week, London-listed Centrica said the hydrogen would be injected by Centrica Business Solutions into a gas-peaking plant in Lincolnshire, east England. "It's anticipated that during the trial, getting underway in Q3 2023, no more than three per cent of the gas mix could be hydrogen, increasing to 20% incrementally after the project," Centrica said. "Longer term, the vision is to move towards 100% hydrogen and to deploy similar technology across all gas-fired peaking plant[s]." If the electricity used in this process comes from a renewable source such as wind or solar then some call it "green" or "renewable" hydrogen.

☆ Trump spoke about his years-long crusade to block a wind farm near his Scottish golf resort with UK PM Theresa May: book
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump asked UK Prime Minister Theresa May about one of his private golf courses, per a new book. Trump spoke about his years-long effort to block an offshore wind farm near one of his Scottish courses. Trump fought for years to block the development of an off-shore wind farm in the vicinity of his Trump International Golf Links, Scotland course near Aberdeen. In 2019, the Trump Organization was ordered to pay $290,000 to the Scottish government after losing a legal battle. Trump first met with May at the White House in January 2017 just days after he was sworn into office.

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