Scotland

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/37199831

Some universities accepted money from companies and institutions with ties to the People’s Liberation Army in China, including those which are sanctioned by other countries.

Other universities took funding from institutions and tech firms accused of helping the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) spy on and target users, spread misinformation and abuse human rights.

The director-general of MI5 last year warned vice-chancellors that China and other states the UK Government views as adversaries are attempting to steal technology from universities that can “deliver their authoritarian, military and commercial priorities”.

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China said The Ferret’s research suggests that funding from CCP-linked organisations in Scottish higher education is particularly prevalent. This, it claimed “should be a matter of deep concern for ministers and the wider Scottish public”.

[...]

Ten universities collectively received at least £39.7m of funding. Of that, £5.5m came from organisations allegedly linked to the military, human rights abuses or spying, or was used to fund controversial Confucius Institutes. These are CCP-funded educational and cultural programs on UK campuses which have been accused of monitoring and censoring UK students, and pushing propaganda.

[...]

Some universities accepted money from Chinese organisations with military ties.

Strathclyde university received £130,000 in research funding from Wuxi Paike New Materials Technology, which makes metal forgings for the Chinese military.

[...]

Strathclyde also accepted £22,100 for “research studentship/knowledge exchange” from the Chinese Academy of Sciences on an undisclosed date. The academy is designated “medium risk” by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), due to its alleged weapons research. ASPI is a defence think tank founded by the Australian Government.

[...]

In 2020, a drone submarine developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences was found by an Indonesian fisherman in the South China Sea and thought to be on a possible covert mission by military observers.

The following year, in October 2021, Robert Gordon University (RGU) was given £46,820 by the academy to research spectral imaging – a method of capturing highly detailed images.

An RGU spokesperson said the research collaboration was transferred to the university in 2021 after it appointed a professor from Strathclyde who was working on the project. The collaboration ended in 2023.

In April this year, The Times reported that RGU, Aberdeen and Strathclyde universities were among 23 UK institutions to have signed an agreement with Chinese institutions with alleged military links, despite warnings from MI5.

[...]

Some universities accepted money from tech firms, including those accused of helping the CCP to spy on users, and spread misinformation.

Heriot-Watt University received between £150,000 and £200,000 from tech firm Huawei to research wireless communications hardware between November 2020 and November 2021.

[...]

In 2022/23, Edinburgh university accepted £127,973 from tech firm, Tencent, to fund a research project called “serving big machine learning models”. Allegations of mass surveillance and human rights abuses by Tencent were reported years earlier.

CCP committees within Tencent ensure that the state’s “political goals are pursued”, according to a 2020 study from ASPI.

A 2022 report from Human Rights Watch claimed that via its messaging app, WeChat, Tencent “censors and surveils” users on the CCP’s behalf and “hands over user data to authorities when ‘sensitive’ information is discovered”.

[...]

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Universities are autonomous institutions and are expected to understand and manage the reputational, ethical and security risks associated with international partnerships.

“This includes conducting appropriate due diligence before entering into new partnerships, and monitoring existing partnerships to ensure they comply with relevant legal requirements”.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/30151075

For me the amazing thing about this story is not that some chancer shipped in a load of tea from elsewhere and repackaged it as Scottish, but that he kept the scam going for a decade or more and was only found out when the local council checked to see if he had a food handling licence.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/27592255

Perched high above the cliffs of South Ronaldsay, one of Scotland’s most remarkable ancient sites offers a window into life and death thousands of years ago.

Known as the Tomb of the Eagles, the Neolithic chambered cairn has fascinated visitors since its discovery in the 1950s, and is now set to reopen after a major funding boost.

Discovered by local farmer Ronnie Simison, the 5,000-year-old tomb revealed a treasure trove of human bones and artefacts, with the remains of some 300 individuals found buried alongside sea eagles. The striking find gave the site its dramatic name and cemented its place as one of Orkney’s most important archaeological landmarks.

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And now, thanks to almost £358,000 in fresh funding, a community trust on the island is set to become the first in Scotland to purchase an ancient monument. The move will secure the Tomb of the Eagles' long-term future as a key piece of local and national history.

The Tomb of the Eagles, a protected site that has long attracted visitors, has been closed since the pandemic after the family who managed it decided to retire.

Located on their land, the tomb was temporarily shut to the public, leaving the community of South Ronaldsay and Burray to find a way forward.

After much consideration, Orkney Isles Council determined that the best path for preserving the site was for the local community to purchase it.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/27288036

A woman has been placed on the sex offenders register and been ordered to attend counselling after licking an MSP’s neck.

Elspeth Wood approached a member of the Scottish Parliament while they were out campaigning for the general election on May 27, 2024.

She made a sexual comment towards the MSP before hugging and licking them on the neck.

The 57-year-old pled guilty to acting in a threatening and abusive manner towards an elected official, an offence under Section 38(1) of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010, in February.

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A non-harassment order, stopping her from contacting her victim, was also granted for a three-year period.

The sheriff accepted the prosecutor’s submissions that there was a significant sexual element to the offence, and placed Wood on the sex offenders register for the same period.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/26424306

Grant Morrison's Captain Clyde was the comic book writer's first published superhero work, which they also drew. A local superhero to the Clyde area, it ran in the Govan Press and the Clydebank & Renfrewshire Presses from 1979 to 1982 on the TV listings pages. It also included some proto-superhero revisionist ideas and superheroes dealing with real-life situations and locations. Captain Clyde was Chris Melville, an unemployed Glaswegian who was transformed by the standing stones of the Orkneys, granted magical powers by the goddess Elen, and would defend Glasgow against villains such as Quasar and Deros and would finally meet his end after a fight to the death with the devil.

Fellow Scot Etienne Kubwabo is a film director who has also created comics, including the first Black Scottish superhero DJ ET in his comic book Beats of War, which was part of the Black Lives Matter Mural Trail, with a large-scale artwork installed at Platform Arts Centre in Glasgow's East End. He has toured Scotland with the comic to inspire the next generation through superhero-themed workshops.

And now Grant Morrison and Etienne Kubwabo are bringing their superheroes, created half a century apart, together, for a new comic book project, Worlds Collide with Captain Clyde and DJ ET, with art by Ben Wilsonham.

Details as they stand are rather scant. But we look forward to finding out more…

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/25429359

Experts are investigating the discovery of a mysterious Roman artefact uncovered in an Iron Age settlement under an Ayrshire distillery.

Archaeologists believe the enamelled bronze brooch may have been placed in the foundations of the fortified roundhouse as a sacrifice during its construction to grant "protection" to the household.

The item, thought to have dated from about the second century AD, was found during an excavation at the William Grant and Sons Girvan Distillery at the Curragh in South Ayrshire in 2020.

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The brooch was thought to be a popular design among Roman military personnel, but examples of the artefacts have been more commonly discovered in present-day central Europe, the Rhineland and Switzerland.

It would have arrived in Scotland at about the time the Roman Empire was losing its grip on the south of the country.

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Jordan Barbour, who co-authored a report into the find, said it was unclear how the brooch passed from Roman hands to those of the Britons.

But he said it was a possible the artefact was a "trophy won in battle".

He said: "It's the only Roman artefact recovered from the site. If the inhabitants had established regular trade with Roman Britain, we might expect to find a greater variety of Roman objects, but this is a solidly native context.

Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf resort in Scotland has been vandalized by activists in response to his recent statements on Gaza.

The golf course in South Ayrshire, owned by the president, was targeted overnight on Friday, with activists painting “Gaza Is Not 4 Sale” in almost 10-foot-high letters on the lawn and damaging the greens, including the course’s most prestigious hole, used in Open Championships.

Red spray paint was used to deface the clubhouse at the 800-acre resort.

Palestine Action described it as a “direct response to the U.S. administration’s stated intent to ethnically cleanse Gaza.”

Trump’s recent comments include plans to “clean out the whole thing” and to turn the territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

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A spokesperson from Palestine Action said: “Palestine Action rejects Donald Trump’s treatment of Gaza as though it were his property to dispose of as he likes.

“To make that clear, we have shown him that his own property is not safe from acts of resistance.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/24429634

Two metal detectorists have unearthed a hoard of 15th Century coins in the Scottish Borders.

Keith Young and Lisa Stephenson discovered 30 gold and silver coins in close proximity in the Cappercleuch area which is near St Mary's Loch.

The coins are a mix of Scottish and English coins, comprising English silver groats minted by Henry V (1413-1422) to Edward IV (1461-1483), and Scottish gold demy and half-demys of James I (1406-1437) and James II (1437-1460).

Lisa described the discovery - likely deposited at the site in the early to mid-1460s - as the "find of a lifetime".

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The discovery has been reported to the Treasure Trove Unit, which assesses all Scottish archaeological finds.

It will then be referred to the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel (SAFAP), an independent panel, where it will be assigned a monetary value to be paid to the finders in the form of an ex-gratia reward.

Accredited museums who wish to acquire the find can apply to SAFAP and will be required to raise the funds for the ex-gratia award.

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Antony Lee from the Treasure Trove Unit said coin hoards containing a mix of both English and Scottish coins were not unusual.

However, he said they did not find many from this period in Scotland which made it a "fascinating find".

Scotland’s largest haggis maker is creating a new “compliant” recipe of the nation’s most famous dish to circumvent strict American food regulations after more than 50 years in exile.

The decision by Macsween of Edinburgh comes after traditional haggis was banned by the US authorities in 1971, taking issue with the sheep’s-lung component of the recipe, which was then banned for use as human food by federal regulation.

Traditional haggis contains about 15% sheep lung. The 1971 law effectively made it illegal to import or sell traditional haggis, making it difficult for Scottish-Americans to access the country’s most famous dish.

Over the years, petitions to end the decades-old ban have been made by former environment secretaries and there have been stories of smuggled, bootleg and blackmarket haggis.

Macsween is to substitute sheep lung with sheep heart, according to the Telegraph. But those with Scottish ancestry hoping to celebrate Burns Night with the substitution will have to wait another year, as the company is now testing the product with the aim of launching in January 2026.

The Proclaimers are to perform at this weekend’s memorial service for former First Minister Alex Salmond, alongside folk musician Dougie MacLean and the singer Sheena Wellington.

The Reid brothers, who have long been supporters of an independent Scotland, are to perform their 1988 single, Cap in Hand, at a service to remember Mr Salmond at the weekend.

The song, which includes the lyrics, “But I can't understand why we let someone else rule our land”, became an anthem of the Scottish independence movement during the 2014 referendum, when Mr Salmond headed up the Scottish National Party (SNP).

The service for the politician, which friends and family said would allow people to say farewell to the former first minister and reflect on his life and achievements, is to take place at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh on Saturday, St Andrew’s Day

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/20300930

A farm in East Ayrshire has launched the UK’s most expensive coffee to help fund a zero-waste dairy facility.

Mossgiel Farm announced the £272 flat white, which includes 34 shares in their business, will turn customers into investors in sustainable dairy farming.

The drink consists of espresso and steamed milk from Mossgiel Farm in Mauchline. It will be available at 13 Scottish cafes on November 23.

Mossgiel’s coffee is the most expensive in the UK, a title previously held by a flat white at Shot London in Mayfair, which cost £265 and was made with Japanese Typica beans.

It comes as part of Mossgiel Farm owner Bryce Cunningham’s drive to raise funds for a state-of-the-art, zero-waste dairy facility, which will give them the backing needed to “revolutionise” milk consumption.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19963508

A bank robber put a pillow case over his head to hide his identity - then had to take it off as he could not see.

Matthew Davies failed to create eye holes in the cover ahead of the armed raid at a bank in Dunfermline, Fife last September.

The 47-year-old, who threatened staff with a meat cleaver, left the branch with nearly £2,000 but was later arrested.

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A hearing at the High Court in Glasgow heard how Davies entered the Bank of Scotland branch and pulled the meat cleaver from the pillow case before putting the bedding item on to cover his face.

But the failure to create eye holes meant he had to take it off.

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The court heard how a witness then followed Davies from the branch to his Dunfermline home.

Police later found the cash and a pillow case "consistent with what he put over his head" at his house.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19959879

Edinburgh Zoo's baby red panda has died from stress caused by fireworks on Bonfire Night, according to veterinary experts.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) said three-month-old Roxie choked on her own vomit as pyrotechnics were being set off across the city.

Roxie's mother Ginger also died unexpectedly five days earlier, and vets say they cannot rule out this also being linked to firework noise.

The zoo is now joining with animal welfare charities and other campaigners in calling for tighter restrictions on fireworks.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19796821

Homes and businesses in the Orkney island of Papa Westray are now receiving their internet through the water network, in what is believed to be a UK first.

Cables have been laid within existing water pipes, using the island's community-owned water system, enabling full fibre broadband to almost all properties.

The innovation allows locals to do things they couldn’t previously, like attending medical appointments remotely and gaming.

It’s now hoped it will attract people to live and work in the island and that water networks could be used to deliver broadband in other hard-to-reach areas.

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The internet connection initially reaches Papa Westray via a radio link from neighbouring isle of Westray, before being distributed across the island using the water pipes.

The fibre cable is delivered through a second pipe housed within the drinking water network.

The island became the first to use this approach successfully because the water system is owned by the community, making the work a more efficient and less disruptive alternative to conventional cable laying methods.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19498281

Two Scots who are believed to own the biggest brick collection in the UK are looking for a museum to house all 6,000 of them.

Mark Cranston and Ian Suddaby have spent the last 15 years collecting thousands of Scottish-made bricks from all over the world.

Part of the collection is stored in two large stables in Mr Cranston's garden in the Scottish Borders; the rest is stacked outside Mr Suddaby's house in East Lothian.

The pair have an agreement that if something happens to one of them the other will make sure their priceless collection is safe. However, they have now decided they need to find a more secure and permanent home for them.

Mr Suddaby, an archaeologist who lives in New Winton, told BBC Scotland News the bricks were an important record of Scotland's industrial past.

"Brick-making is a very important part of Scotland's history because we do have some of the best quality fireclay in the world for making industrial bricks.

"And this ties in with the industrial revolution and I think it should be promoted to a wider audience and that should be in some sort of a museum.

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Among their collection is a special fire brick that was salvaged from the SS Politician, after it ran aground in the Outer Hebrides in 1941 carrying 264,000 bottles of malt whisky - inspiring the novel and film Whisky Galore!

There is also a brick that was retrieved from the execution block at Barlinnie prison in Glasgow, before it was demolished in the late 1990s.

The men own a Scottish-made brick recovered from an old gold mine in Washington state, USA. Their oldest brick is a drainage tile from 1833.

Their collection even out-numbers that of The Brickworks Museum - the UK's only brick museum - in Swanwick, Hampshire, which has about 3,500 bricks.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19492134

Janey Godley, who has died aged 63, turned an early life full of pain and tragedy into a successful comedy career.

A tough upbringing in the east end of Glasgow was the thread which ran through her humour. Often angry, she specialised in wringing laughs out of the most unlikely material.

Her act mirrored the city that shaped her: working-class, foul-mouthed, simultaneously angry and sentimental. She delivered her comic broadsides at high speed, jabbing her points home like a street-fighter.

For her fans, she was one of them - and as her reputation grew so did her influence. The former pub landlady became close friends with Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister, after her videos voicing-over the FM's Covid press conferences became a viral sensation.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19463362

Police officers have seized an electric scooter with an exercise bike welded to it after it was spotted being ridden around Inverness.

In a social media post featuring an accompanying photograph, Police Scotland confirmed road policing officers spotted the adapted machine being ridden without relevant documents.

The post also stated: "Yes, that is an exercise bike welded to it. Rider reported, vehicle seized."

it is currently illegal to ride an e-scooter in a public place in Scotland.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19074633

A hoard of Bronze Age artefacts unearthed by a metal detectorist in the Borders has been saved for the nation by National Museums Scotland.

It has acquired the Peebles Hoard, which had lain undisturbed for 3,000 years before it was discovered in 2020.

Efforts have now started to secure funding for continued research and conservation of the collection, which includes more than 500 pieces.

National Museums Scotland (NMS) said the man who found it had received a five-figure sum.

Senior curator Dr Matthew Knight said it shed new light on Bronze Age communities in Scotland.

The hoard has been described as one of the most significant ever found in the country.

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NMS said it represented a "complex set of material, some of which has no archaeological parallel anywhere in western Europe".

"This includes many unique artefacts, the use of which is yet to be discovered and could transform our understanding of life in Bronze Age Scotland," it added.

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The hoard was found in 2020 by metal-detectorist Mariusz Stepien, who alerted the Treasure Trove Unit.

That allowed experts to coordinate a complex retrieval process which involved removing the hoard from the ground in a single block which was then CT scanned.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/18439721

A teaser trailer has been released for a Scottish horror comedy film about mutant killer midges.

Fort William-based author and screenwriter Barry Hutchison posted his idea for the movie on social media last summer as a joke.

The response to the post has led to Midgies going into a pre-production phase with cast and locations being considered ahead of a plan to film next year.

Glasgow-based film-maker Alessio Avezzano shot the short teaser this summer, with some of the filming done in Balloch Country Park, West Dunbartonshire.

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The teaser features two walkers coming across a frightened scientist, and a laboratory under attack from an unseen menace.

Scottish companies including Motif Studios, which worked on visual effects for a Mad Max film, and digital entertainment firm Blazing Griffin were involved in making the three minute-long short film.

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He said the new teaser would form part of a package of materials which will be pitched at film production companies and potential funders.

"We were hoping to be a little further on," said Hutchison.

"Writer and actor strikes in the US ground film production globally to a halt in many ways. As a result of that we lost our US producer."

Hutchison said the focus was now on making the film as much of a Scottish production as possible.

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Hutchison added: "We are looking to shoot next year in the summer, although we will be plagued by actual midges which could be problematic."

Teaser trailer

IMDb