Month: August 2022

Pam Gosal’s domestic abuse prevention bill proposal would also make school-age education on domestic abuse compulsory.

And it would require government to look at access to abuse services for under-represented communities.

A consultation on the proposed bill has begun at Holyrood.

Police Scotland recorded 65,251 incidents of domestic abuse in 2020-21, an increase of 4% on the previous year and the fifth year in a row the number of incidents has risen.

Ms Gosal, Scottish Conservative MSP for West Scotland, described domestic abuse as a “horrendous crime”.

She said her proposal could “help to crack down on this appalling crime” by helping deal with some “repeat offenders” going on to abuse several partners.

It would also introduce mandatory rehabilitation measures – such as anger management or restorative justice – for people convicted of domestic abuse or subject to a court protection order.

In May 2021 Ms Gosal became the first Indian Sikh MSP and one of the first woman of colour elected to the Scottish Parliament.

She hopes to build cross-party agreement to pass her bill into law.

Justice Secretary Keith Brown has already agreed to meet her to discuss the proposals.

Ms Ghosal said it had been “heart-breaking” to speak to domestic abuse survivors about the “horror they’ve gone through when seeking safety and justice”.

“In many cases, repeat offenders have managed to get away with making life hell for several victims before they are apprehended,” she said.

“I am also seeking to expand awareness of domestic abuse and access to services for those in need, particularly in BAME communities where I know that too often, domestic abuse goes unpunished.”

She added: “I hope on this issue that politicians across the Scottish Parliament will set aside political differences and work together.”

The two cricketing giants will take on each other in the Asia Cup on Sunday. If the gods smile on television moguls, this could be the first of three meetings in the tournament.

The India-Pakistan rivalry has generally been more intense in the hearts and minds of supporters than the players. Battles have been fought on social media by fans who believe that a win on a cricket field is conclusive proof that one political system or one religion or one nation is superior to the other.

Over the years, there have been two separate games whenever the India and Pakistan teams have met. The one on the field is a competition between two talented sets of players trying their utmost to win, bringing into the frame professional pride. Off it, the game is symbolic of something else; war minus the shooting, to use George Orwell’s memorable phrase.

The last time the teams met, at the World T20 in October 2021, Pakistan beat India by ten wickets. Indian bowler Mohammed Shami, the only Muslim man in the Indian team, was trolled mercilessly. He had figures of 3.5-0-43-0, not unusual in a T20 game. But for those who were searching for scapegoats, Shami fit the bill.

The exchanges on social media have been relatively muted in the build-up to Sunday’s game – but it will be a long time before an India-Pakistan match goes from being a test of nationalism to “just another game”.

On Sunday, Pakistan will be without fast bowler Shaheen Afridi, who has an injured knee. With three wickets, Afridi was man of the match when the two teams met in the World T20.

“Shaheen’s injury big relief for the Indian top order batsmen…” former Pakistan team captain Waqar Younis tweeted last week. To this, former India player Irfan Pathan responded with “It’s a relief to other teams that Bumrah isn’t playing this Asia cup!” Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has a back injury.

This exchange is mild stuff to what some players and fans have been tweeting in recent times. If things are getting a bit boring, that is for the good. But that might be too much to hope for. There are enough players, fans and television officials who stoke the fire for personal, professional and political reasons.

But to set against these exchanges, there is the one between the leading batters of the two sides.

Last month, when India’s Virat Kohli was going through a bad patch in England, Pakistani star Babar Azam sent him a message: “This too shall pass. Stay strong.”

Kohli’s response was equally warm: “Thank you. Keep shining and rising. Wish you all the best.”

For political reasons, India and Pakistan play each other only in multi-team tournaments outside their respective countries – this lends these matches an edge. Emotions are pent up for longer and find release on these occasions.

But that’s among fans. Players show more sense. The Pakistan Cricket Board released videos from the venue of players from the two countries greeting each other with warmth and enquiring after one another’s families. For them it’s business as usual.

One factor that could explain the lack of the usual excitement in the build-up to the first Asia Cup match might be the distraction caused by Kohli’s lack of form. The former India captain and lead batsman has not made a century in international cricket since November 2019, and has played only four T20 matches out of India’s last 24.

Kohli’s return to the team after a short break to rest and recuperate is being awaited with great anticipation.

Indian fans have been praying for a major contribution from Kohli in the team’s win. This will be his 100th T20 international, making him only the second player (after New Zealand’s Ross Taylor) to play 100 matches in each of cricket’s three formats.

Kohli’s form has become a leading domestic issue, with at least one national magazine analysing this in a cover story, and others getting experts to comment too. One website has calculated that it has been 1,009 days since he last made a century. None of this will matter if Kohli rediscovers his touch at the Asia Cup. The story-within-a-story has diverted attention from the big stories – the India-Pakistan tie and the Asia Cup itself.

The 15th Asia Cup, played among six teams in two groups of three each was to be held in Sri Lanka but moved to the UAE owing to the economic and political situation in that country. The teams from each group play each other in the ‘Super Four’, and the two top teams there will meet in the final on 11 September.

Investigators said top secret files had been stored at Mar-a-Lago along with assorted newspapers and magazines.

The justice department said it censored the affidavit to protect “a significant number of civilian witnesses”.

Mr Trump said the inquiry was being led by “political Hacks and Thugs”.

On Friday, the US Department of Justice released a version of the affidavit used to justify the FBI’s incursion into Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on 8 August, but it has been heavily redacted.

Given that the court papers were filed before the search of the Palm Beach estate, they contain no new details on the 11 sets of classified documents that the justice department has said were recovered from the exclusive golf club.

The FBI agent who drafted the affidavit wrote they had “probable cause” to believe that “evidence, contraband, fruits of crimes or other items illegally possessed” would be discovered.

“There is also probable cause to believe that evidence of obstruction will be found at the premises,” the agent added.

The document shows that the unprecedented criminal investigation into a former president began after the National Archives, which maintains historic White House records, identified “a lot” of classified files among 15 boxes that it had recovered from Mar-a-Lago in January this year.

An FBI review of those materials uncovered 184 classified documents, including 25 marked as “Top Secret”.

The curtain of secrecy has been pulled back ever so slightly on the justice department’s inquiry into the alleged handling of classified documents and presidential records at Mar-a-Lago.

Even with all the redactions, the picture revealed should be concerning to Donald Trump and his associates.

This is a serious criminal investigation.

It’s not just about who gets to keep some presidential mementoes and souvenirs – it concerns the security of closely guarded US government secrets – ones involving human intelligence gathering, foreign surveillance and perhaps even court-authorised surveillance of US citizens.

Mr Trump has had an assortment of legal headaches since his chaotic departure from the White House in January 2021.

After the Mar-a-Lago search, and these subsequent revelations, this investigation may have moved up to the top of the list.

Read Anthony’s other takeaways

The cache included information from highly sensitive US intelligence human sources. Some items were also marked “Noforn” – meaning they must not be released to foreign nationals.

The files – some of which appeared to show Mr Trump’s handwritten notes – were interspersed with newspapers, magazines and other documents, according to the affidavit.

“Of most significant concern was that highly classified records were unfoldered, intermixed with other records and otherwise unproperly identified,” the document said.

The discovery led investigators to believe that Mr Trump may have been in violation of three separate federal laws, including the Espionage Act that governs classified information.

Of the 38 pages in the unsealed affidavit, 21 are mostly or entirely blacked out. There are several pages in which not a single word is visible.

A separate document explaining the proposed redactions noted that some parts of the affidavit must remain under seal to “protect the safety and privacy of civilian witnesses, in addition to law enforcement personnel, as well as to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation”.

Revealing the identities of witnesses, the document added, could potentially lead to them being subjected to harms including “retaliation, intimidation, or harassment and even threats to their physical safety”.

Mr Trump – who may launch another White House campaign for 2024 – reacted angrily on his social media platform, Truth Social.

He said that Judge Bruce Reinhart, who signed off on the search, should never have allowed the “break-in of my home”. Mr Trump also accused the judge of “animosity” towards him.

He has maintained that he had already ordered all the documents to be declassified.

The justice department’s investigation is now expected to continue behind closed doors as it continues to review the documents and – potentially – call in more witnesses.

The public may not hear from prosecutors about the investigation until a decision has been made on whether it will result in any criminal charges.

The bank’s chairman, Jerome Powell, said the bank must continue to raise interest rates to stop inflation from becoming a permanent aspect of the US economy.

His words sent US stocks into a tailspin, with markets tumbling 3%.

It comes as Americans are having to pay more for basic goods.

Inflation in the world’s largest economy is at a four-decade high.

During a highly anticipated speech at a conference in Wyoming on Friday, Mr Powell said the Federal Reserve would probably impose further interest rate hikes in the coming months and could keep them high “for some time”.

“Reducing inflation is likely to require a sustained period of below-trend growth,” he said at the meeting in Jackson Hole.

Investors are concerned that if economic growth falters, higher interest rates will increase the likelihood of a recession.

Mr Powell conceded that getting inflation under control would come at a cost to American households and businesses but he argued it was a price worth paying.

“While higher interest rates, slower growth and softer labour market conditions will bring down inflation, they will also bring some pain to household and businesses,” he said.

“These are unfortunate costs of reducing inflation but a failure to restore price stability would mean far greater pain.”

Mr Powell wants to avoid inflation becoming entrenched. Simply put, that means if people believe inflation will be high, they will alter their behaviour accordingly, making it a self-fulfilling prophecy. For example, someone who thinks prices will go up 3% next year is more likely to seek a 3% rise in wages.

The last time this happened, Mr Powell’s predecessor, Paul Volcker, had to slam on the brakes, raising interest rates dramatically and sending the economy into recession.

In March, the Federal Reserve’s key interest rate was almost zero; it has since been raised to a range of 2.25% to 2.5% in an effort to tackle inflation.

Negotiations between councils and unions continued late into Friday night after a second day of talks.

It is understood discussions are focusing on a new deal for the lowest-paid workers.

BBC Scotland has been told that no deal is imminent but “slow progress” is being made.

Council leaders are said to be discussing what kind of offer they could afford.

Unions are seeking an agreement similar to the one made to council workers in England.

That deal included a £1,925 flat rate pay offer, which the union said would benefit the lowest paid the most.

BBC Scotland correspondent Jamie McIvor said the fact that negotiations were continuing was a positive sign in itself.

He added: “There is the possibility of talks continuing into the weekend or Monday.

“The councils are very sympathetic to the claims being made by the unions, they understand the cost of living crisis and what that means for so many of their staff.

“It is that question of what councils can actually afford to pay, even with the extra £140m they have been given by the Scottish government.”

Fellow bar worker Megan Alexander, added: “I’m finding this disgusting work. It’s certainly not our job. I feel a bit upset about it all.

“Our neighbour who runs an ice-cream shop has had to close due to the rubbish.

“His queue is normally way down the Grassmarket. It’s terrible he’s had to close due to the bins.”

The bar workers said once they had bagged up all rubbish outside the pub they hoped their private refuse collection company would collect it.

Meanwhile, a religious group has said it will be putting 30 trade bins in five locations across Edinburgh city centre, which will be filled and then removed by its volunteers.

A spokesman for the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church said: “We are working with a local contractor with permission from Edinburgh City Council and once filled the bins will be collected and the waste disposed of and the bins replaced.

“We see this as an ongoing operation until a satisfactory pay resolution is reached.”

Trade unions have argued the church’s Rapid Relief Team’s volunteers should put their energies elsewhere.

A GMB Scotland spokesman said: “We’d much rather these volunteers back our members’ struggle for a pay increase that confronts this cost-of-living crisis, so we can tackle the spread of working poverty among Scotland’s key workers.”

Deputy First Minister John Swinney described the bin situation in Edinburgh earlier this week as already being “deeply concerning” for public health, with visitors to the city’s arts festival speaking of their shock at the piles of waste lying next to overflowing public bins.

He said the latest round of talks were aimed at ensuring there was “intense dialogue” around resolving the dispute, adding: “I do hope that leads to substantive progress.”

The energy regulator hiked the price cap on household bills by 80% on Friday, meaning the average bill will rise to £3,549 a year from October.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Mr Zahawi said even those earning £45,000 a year may need support.

He said the Treasury was exploring “all the options” to help households.

He added that the country was in a “national economic emergency [that] could go on for 18 months, two years”.

The rise in the energy price cap – which is the maximum amount that suppliers can charge households per unit of energy – means millions of households will see their annual bills rise from about £1,971 currently.

Typical prepayment meter customers will also see their bills rise to £3,608.

Charities and experts have warned that the rise will have a devastating impact on households and that lives will be at risk without government intervention.

Both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, one of whom will be announced as the next prime minister on 5 September, have pledged further support, though neither has given details.

The government has already announced that all households will get a £400 rebate on energy bills, with low income and vulnerable households receiving an additional £650.

In his interview with the Telegraph, Mr Zahawi said he was also concerned about those who are not on benefits.

“If you are a senior nurse or a senior teacher on £45,000 a year, you’re having your energy bills go up by 80% and will probably rise even higher in the new year – it’s really hard.

“If you’re a pensioner, it’s really hard. So Universal Credit is a really effective way of targeting, but I’m looking at what else we can do to make sure we help those who really need the help.”

Mr Zahawi said the options being drawn up for the next prime minister to consider included an increase in benefits and a loan scheme for energy suppliers to stop them having to pass costs on to consumers.

He said a price cap freeze had not been ruled out, though he expressed concern that the measure would also benefit households that could afford to pay higher energy costs.

Mr Zahawi added that a number of measures to help small businesses, including temporary reductions to VAT, business rates, or green levies, were being considered, saying a failure to help business would leave a “longer-term scarring effect on the economy”.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats have criticised the government for failing to respond to the growing crisis.

Labour says its own plan to freeze energy prices this winter – paid for in part by a windfall tax on energy companies – would save someone on the minimum wage more than £40 a week.

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the energy crisis had spiralled out of control and accused the government of being willing to leave “millions of families out in the cold”.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said the energy price cap rise was “nothing short of a catastrophe for millions of families and pensioners”.

Speaking to broadcasters on Friday, Mr Zahawi also split with cabinet colleagues who have so far resisted suggestions that households should be encouraged to reduce their energy usage.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this week that choices about energy consumption remained “decisions for individuals”.

Asked about the issue, Mr Zahawi said: “The reality is that we should all look at our energy consumption.”

He told the Telegraph that the country would have to be resilient as it continued to help Ukraine resist the Russian invasion.

“Putin has worked out that he can use energy as a tool to hit back at us,” he said.

“And we’re going to need to send a message back to Putin that this is not going to soften our resolve.”