Category: Scotland

Half of Transgender Inmates in Scotland Only Began Transitioning After They Were Jailed

Half of Scotland’s transgender prisoners only identified as women after they were put behind bars, according to figures obtained in a Freedom of Information request. There are 16 transgender inmates in Scottish prisons, eight of whom began their transition while “being cared for in custody following their remand or conviction for their current offence,” the…


Edinburgh Packs a Cultural Punch

Edinburgh is the cultural heart of Scotland. Once a medieval powerhouse stretching below its mighty castle, today it’s one of Europe’s most lively and festive cities. Scotland’s capital has two distinct halves: a medieval old town and an 18th-century new town. Weather blows in and out – bring your sweater and be prepared for rain….


Sabotage (1936)

A Scotland Yard undercover detective is on the trail of a saboteur who is part of a plot to set off a bomb in London. But when the detective’s cover is blown, the plot begins to unravel. Credit: Public Domain Movies – BUY Jan 6 DVD: www.epochtv.shop/product-page/dvd-the-real-story-of-january-6, Promo Code “EpochTV” for 20% off. – Feature…


Book Review: ‘The Confessions of a Bookseller,’ A Year in the Life of a Scottish Bookseller

I have a propensity for acquiring books. My small, upstairs office has shelves full of them. I have a friend who runs a small bookstore in Warrenton, Virginia. Originally from Portland, Oregon, I find my memories are keen of Powell’s, a legendary independent bookstore touted as the world’s largest. I like everything about books, and…


Fireball Seen Flying Above UK Was a Meteor, Experts Say

A fireball seen shooting through the skies above northern parts of the UK on Wednesday evening was a meteor, experts from the UK Meteor Network have concluded. The network said it had received nearly 800 reports mainly from Northern Ireland and Scotland after a fireball was spotted at about 10 p.m. local time. It said…


Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II Dies Aged 96, Surrounded by Her Family

Queen Elizabeth II, who had been Britain’s head of state for more than 70 years, has passed away at the age of 96. The Prince of Wales is now King, having acceded to the throne immediately on the death of his mother. In a statement, the Palace said: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this…


Scottish Lawyers Question Wisdom of Scrapping Historic ‘Not Proven’ Verdict

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has pledged to scrap the verdict of “not proven,” which is unique to Scotland and dates back to the 17th century. But the Law Society of Scotland said it was “deeply concerned” about the announcement and Thomas Ross, QC, a defence advocate in Glasgow, told The Epoch Times the evidence…


Scottish Court Holds Mock Trial to Highlight Hate Crime Laws

A mock trial staged to highlight racially aggravated hate crimes has caused some to question if Scottish authorities are readying a newly-enacted yet still-dormant hate crime law, which has been described as the most “illiberal and censorious bill in any liberal democracy in the world.” While not explicit, a mock trial could be seen as…


Unions Reject Pay Offers, Warn of ‘Winter of Discontent’ in Scotland

Trade unions have rejected the Scottish government’s pay offers and threatened to escalate strike actions in an upcoming “winter of discontent.” Authorities in the Scottish capital Edinburgh started a major clean-up operation on Tuesday, after nearly two weeks of industrial action by the city’s waste workers left huge piles of rubbish in many streets in…


Garbage Piles in Scotland Raise Health Concerns Amid Strikes

LONDON—Stinking piles of garbage on the streets of Edinburgh are threatening the health and safety of the public, a health authority warned Saturday as strikes by garbage collectors in the Scottish capital moved into their ninth day. The warning from Public Health Scotland came as garbage collectors in Newham, a borough of London, also walked…