BBC Fiona Hyslop said the ferry network faced a difficult and challenging winter Islanders are facing a “challenging and difficult” winter because of potential disruption to ferry services, Scotland’s transport minister has warned. Fiona Hyslop said Caledonian MacBrayne was under intense pressure because of a lack of available vessels – but that she was pushing the ferry operator to consider “all options” to maintain lifeline services. She was responding to an urgent question from one of her own backbenchers after it emerged the main Arran ferry MV Caledonian Isles may be out of action all winter. Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Greene accused of the SNP of having a “brass neck” for blaming CalMac for problems it had created through years of underinvestment. Hyslop told MSPs the latest delay to the
Author Archives: The Esbec Team
Nov
Police video shows firework attacks as 19 arrested Police helicopter footage shows Bonfire Night disorder in Edinburgh Police helicopter footage has captured the firework disorder in Edinburgh, as officers confirmed they made 19 arrests between Halloween and Bonfire Night Six people have been charged under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles Act and 26 further charges have been made for related criminal behaviour. Police officers and firefighters were attacked with fireworks, bricks and bottles on Bonfire Night, as crews responded to more than 1,000 emergency calls across the country. The force said residents in Edinburgh and Glasgow were left “terrified” by the “targeted” disorder and that police were carrying out inquiries to identify those responsible. There were six incidents where Scottish Fire and Rescue Service teams were attacked – three in
Nov
Aston Villa experienced one of the most unusual penalty calls in Champions League history during their clash with Club Brugge What seemed like a routine play quickly turned chaotic, resulting in a penalty that left fans and players baffled Villa, who had kept a clean sheet in their Champions League return prior to this game, were left questioning the call Premier League side Aston Villa conceded one of the most unusual penalties in Champions League history during their clash against Club Brugge on Wednesday night. Heading into the game in Belgium, Villa had kept clean sheets in their previous three group stage matches against Young Boys, Bayern Munich, and Bologna. Aston Villa were penalised in bizarre fashion in their Champions League clash with Club Brugge. Photos: Catherine Ivill/Crystal Pix.Source: UGC
Nov
Featured Reuters.com Nov – 07 – 2024 , 10:04 Ghana’s cocoa production is expected to rebound in the 2024/25 crop season, buoyed by favourable weather conditions, according to local farmers, officials from regulatory body Cocobod, and buyers. However, challenges such as illegal gold mining, smuggling, and disease continue to pose risks. In June, the world’s second-largest cocoa producer saw its output fall below 55% of its average seasonal output, marking a more than two-decade low. Similar problems in neighbouring Ivory Coast, the world’s leading cocoa producer, have resulted in a four-year global cocoa market supply deficit, pushing the prices of chocolate’s key ingredient to record highs. Ghana now expects output to recover to 650,000 tons in the 2024/25 season, though an official of the International Cocoa Organization said they see
Nov
The Minister of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, has assured Nigerian youths of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to adopting and implementing policies aimed at providing a conducive environment for them to thrive. Olawande, who gave this assurance while addressing the Valedictory Sitting of the 5th Session of the Nigerian Youth […] The post Tinubu won’t shun your policy recommendations, minister assures youths appeared first on The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News.
Nov
Legislation to prevent children accessing social media will be introduced by Australia’s parliament later this year and will take effect 12 months after ratification. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced plans to legislate for a ban on social media for children under 16 years of age, an initiative his government says is world-leading. Australia’s Minister of Communications Michelle Rowland said on Thursday that the social media platforms impacted would include Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, as well as Bytedance’s video-sharing TikTok and Elon Musk’s X, previously known as Twitter. Rowland said that Alphabet’s YouTube would also likely fall within the scope of the legislation. “Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I’m calling time on it,” Prime Minister Albanese told a news conference. Legislation will be introduced into
Nov
Stella Frimpong – mother of the deceased Featured GraphicOnline Nov – 06 – 2024 , 15:16 The mother of 16-year-old Dennis Owusu Ansah, who was fatally stabbed in Anloga in the Ashanti region on Monday night, has called for justice as her family mourns the sudden loss of her son. Dennis, a recent Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) graduate, was eagerly preparing to start school at Tweneboa Kodua Senior High School later this week. The tragic incident occurred around 7:30 pm on Monday when Dennis was allegedly involved in a confrontation with three teenage girls while escorting a friend home. Eyewitnesses recounted that an argument ensued, during which one of the girls reportedly pulled out a knife and stabbed Dennis in the rib, causing severe bleeding. Dennis was rushed to
![Vice President Kamala Harris delivers her concession speech on the campus of Howard University in Washington [J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/AP24311773606537-1730928617.jpg?resize=1170%2C780&quality=80&w=1000&resize=1000,500&ssl=1)
Nov
Vice President Kamala Harris delivers her concession speech on the campus of Howard University in Washington [J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo] US Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a televised concession speech to the nation after a whirlwind campaign that failed to stop Republican Donald Trump’s return to the White House. “While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign,” she told supporters on Wednesday at her alma mater, Howard University, a historically Black college. Harris pledged to continue fighting for women’s rights and against gun violence and to “fight for the dignity that all people deserve”. She said she had called President-elect Trump, congratulated him on his triumph and promised to engage in a peaceful transfer of power. Harris addressed a crowd that included former
Nov
US shares hit record highs on Wall Street and the dollar posted its biggest gain in eight years as Donald Trump was re-elected to the White House in a historic win. Bitcoin also hit an all-time high, following Trump’s election promise to prioritise the volatile crypto currency. Investors were, however, betting that Trump’s plan to cut taxes and raise tariffs will push up inflation and reduce the pace of interest rate cuts. Higher rates for longer mean investors will get better returns on savings and investments they hold in dollars. Markets and currencies around the world shifted sharply on Wednesday following the US election news: The major US stock indexes soared, with banks performing particularly well The dollar was up by about 1.65% against a host of different currencies, including
Nov
Investigators reportedly noticed that meetings held at the Prime Minister’s Office at the start of the Israel-Hamas War were not recorded. By JERUSALEM POST STAFF NOVEMBER 6, 2024 22:41 General view of the Lahav 443 police unit headquarters in the city of Lod on November 4, 2019. (photo credit: FLASH90) A Wednesday Channel 12 report revealed further information regarding the ongoing criminal investigation, initiated by Lahav 433, into what the police termed events at the start of the Israel-Hamas War. According to the report, investigators noticed that meetings held at the Prime Minister’s Office at the start of the Israel-Hamas War were not recorded, and no protocols were taken. This happened likely due to the confusion that ensued following the October 7 massacre. National Unity MK Gadi Eisenkot subsequently
Nov
Kumar Mehta celebrated Diwali last week by lighting up the night skies with vibrant fireworks from his Mumbai flat. As his nine-year-old daughter watched the darkened skies come alive, a thick blanket of smoke soon engulfed the building’s play area. Within moments, the child began struggling to breathe due to the billowing smoke and had to be rushed to a nearby hospital. “It was a Diwali nightmare for us. We never thought it would happen to us,” Mehta said after spending two days at the hospital as his daughter received treatment for respiratory issues. Such incidents have become increasingly common during Diwali, India ’s largest festival, which this year fell on October 31. While over a billion people lit lamps, donned festive attire, hosted gatherings, and visited family, the widespread
Nov
Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o (center) during the launch of Digital Health Roadmap and the Kisumu Health Information Exchange and Data Repository blueprint. [Washington Onyango,Standard] Kisumu County health sector is ready to embrace a transformative shift in its healthcare delivery through the integration of digital technologies, as announced during the Lake Region Digital Health Conference. Hosted in Kisumu, the conference brought together key leaders, including Kisumu Governor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, who highlighted the county’s progress in utilizing digital tools to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Governor Nyong’o outlined the county’s experience since the launch of its UHC initiative in 2018, noting that Kisumu has been at the forefront of digital health adoption. From the digital registration of over 850,000 residents via the M-TIBA platform to the creation of the Kisumu Social
Nov
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked his finance minister on Wednesday and said he will hold a parliamentary confidence vote in the government in January, triggering political chaos in Europe’s largest economy hours after Donald Trump won the US presidential election. After sacking Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the Free Democrats (FDP) party, Scholz is expected to head a minority government, either alone with his Social Democrats or with the Greens, the second-largest party, relying on cobbled-together parliamentary majorities. The collapse of Scholz’s three-way coalition caps months of wrangling over budget policy and Germany’s economic direction, with the government’s popularity sinking and far-right and far-left forces surging. “We need a government that is able to act, that has the strength to make the necessary decisions for our country,” Scholz told reporters.
Nov
The political party that made gains in regional polls is defended by its leaders while labelled ‘right-wing extremist’ by Germany’s security services. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party has said it will throw out three of its members who have been arrested on suspicion of having joined an “extremist” paramilitary group. The political party’s announcement comes after eight people were arrested and at least 20 properties were searched during a police operation on Tuesday. The operation targeted the Saxonian Separatists, a group authorities consider a domestic “terrorist organisation”. It was founded in November 2020 and is driven by racist ideology and conspiracy theories. Members had been training in warfare for the downfall of the modern German state before hundreds of police swooped on locations linked to it in
Nov
Many states brought their issues directly to the voter. November 6, 2024, 2:28 PM Tuesday’s election saw significant laws and regulations passed on the state level through various ballot measures. Election workers review ballots at the Denver Elections Division in Denver on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024. Chet Strange/AP Here are some of the major initiatives from this year’s election. Immigration, voting rights It is already against the law for those in the country illegally to register to vote and cast a ballot in federal and state elections. However, some states proposed ballot measures that would make it illegal for undocumented immigrants to vote on the state or local level. Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wisconsin voters all passed measures enacting such a ban. People