A former Scottish National Party (SNP) council leader has been jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to a string of sex offenses against boys and young men, sparking an angry scene outside the court as he arrived for sentencing.Jordan Linden, 30, was sentenced at Falkirk Sheriff Court after being found guilty of 10 offenses including sexual assault, stalking and inappropriate sexual communication following a trial earlier this year.

Crowd’s anger outside the court

Video circulating online shows an angry crowd shouting at Linden as he arrived for sentencing for a series of sexual crimes against boys and young men. However, he refused to answer media questions.

crime over a decade

The court heard the crimes took place over a 10-year period between 2011 and 2021, with the victims being under the age of 14. Prosecutors said Linden targeted vulnerable teenagers and young men who repeatedly engaged in inappropriate behavior, including unwanted sexual contact and explicit communications.He was convicted of five counts of sexual assault, as well as charges of stalking individuals and forcing them to view sexual images.

Court rejected the plea for leniency

Defense attorney David Moggach Casey argued for a non-custodial sentence, citing Linden’s difficult adolescence, bullying and later autism diagnosis.However, Sheriff Christopher Sheed ruled that jail was necessary due to the seriousness of the crimes, and said that custody was “the only appropriate disposal”. Linden was also placed on the sex offenders register.

political outcome

Lyndon stepped down as leader of North Lanarkshire Council in 2022 after the allegations emerged, subsequently leaving both the council and the SNP.The case has sparked widespread political controversy, with questions raised over how earlier complaints were handled within the party and youth organisations. Some witnesses claimed that concerns were previously downplayed or ignored.The SNP said it welcomed the decision and has since ordered a review of its complaints procedures, while the Scottish Youth Parliament said it recognized the seriousness of the matter and had co-operated fully with the investigation.The sentence was handed down after a detailed investigation, officials said, adding that officials hope the sentence will provide some measure of justice to the victims.

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प्रतीकात्मक तस्वीर.
– फोटो : संवाद

विस्तार

कैलाश मानसरोवर यात्रा के लिए यात्रियों की संख्या बढ़ने के बाद अब यात्रा का खर्च भी 35 हजार रुपये बढ़ा दिया गया है. यात्रा खर्च बढ़ने का कारण डॉलर की कीमत में बढ़ोतरी है. पिछले साल यात्रा का कुल खर्च 1.74 लाख रुपये था, जो इस बार बढ़कर 2.09 लाख रुपये हो गया है. इसमें केएमवीएन को देय 65 हजार रुपये की धनराशि भी शामिल है। कुमाऊं मंडल विकास निगम (KMVN) भारतीय क्षेत्र में यात्रा, आवास, भोजन, गाइड आदि की व्यवस्था करता है। पिछले साल केएमवीएन द्वारा प्रति यात्री 57 हजार रुपये शुल्क लिया गया था, जिसमें इस बार 8 हजार रुपये की बढ़ोतरी की गई है। तिब्बत में वीज़ा और अन्य खर्च विदेश मंत्रालय को अलग से देय होंगे, जिसमें 1400 डॉलर शामिल हैं। सरकार ने यात्रा के लिए शुल्क की घोषणा कर दी है. यात्रियों का रजिस्ट्रेशन भी शुरू हो गया है. पिछले साल 10 समूहों में कुल 250 तीर्थयात्री गए थे. इस वर्ष 50-50 यात्रियों के 10 समूह जायेंगे।

अयोध्या के पुरूषोत्तम नगर वार्ड में समाजवादी पार्टी द्वारा एक भव्य कार्यक्रम का आयोजन किया गया, जिसमें पार्षद ज्ञानमती पासवान और ओपी पासवान ने अपने पूज्य माता-पिता की प्रतिमा का अनावरण किया। इस कार्यक्रम के साथ-साथ पीडीए जन पंचायत चौपाल का भी आयोजन किया गया. कार्यक्रम में बड़ी संख्या में पार्टी कार्यकर्ता और स्थानीय लोग शामिल हुए. पूरे कार्यक्रम का माहौल राजनीतिक और सामाजिक चर्चाओं से भरा रहा.

मुख्य अतिथियों ने प्रतिमा का अनावरण किया
प्रतिमा का अनावरण मुख्य अतिथि अवधेश प्रसाद, रागिनी सोनकर व पूर्व मंत्री तेज नारायण पांडे ने किया. कार्यक्रम की अध्यक्षता जिलाध्यक्ष पारसनाथ यादव ने की, जबकि संचालन महासचिव हामिद जाफर मीसम ने किया. इस अवसर पर विशिष्ट अतिथि के रूप में महिला राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष सीमा राजभर, श्रीमती जानकी पाल एवं पूर्व एमएलसी लीलावती कुशवाहा भी उपस्थित रहीं।

सरकार पर कई आरोप लगाए गए
कार्यक्रम में अपने संबोधन में विधायक रागिनी सोनकर ने मौजूदा सरकार पर निशाना साधा. उन्होंने कहा कि आज की सरकार महिलाओं को उनका हक नहीं देना चाहती और जनता को गुमराह कर रही है. उन्होंने गैस की बढ़ती कीमतों और प्रीपेड मीटर लगाने के फैसले को जनता पर अतिरिक्त बोझ बताया. उन्होंने कहा कि अच्छी शिक्षा, महिलाओं को पेंशन और युवाओं को रोजगार समाजवादी पार्टी की सरकार में ही संभव है।

किसानों और कानून व्यवस्था पर उठाए सवाल
पूर्व मंत्री तेज नारायण पांडे ने भी सरकार की नीतियों की आलोचना की. उन्होंने कहा कि अयोध्या में किसानों की जमीन जबरन छीनकर उद्योगपतियों को दी जा रही है. उन्होंने कानून व्यवस्था पर सवाल उठाते हुए कहा कि विभिन्न समाज की बेटियों के साथ हो रही घटनाओं में न्याय नहीं मिल रहा है. उन्होंने कहा कि जनता इसका जवाब 2027 में देगी.

कार्यक्रम में बड़ी संख्या में लोग मौजूद थे
इस मौके पर प्रदेश सचिव राम अचल यादव, महानगर उपाध्यक्ष चंद्र यादव, हाजी फिरोज खान, अनूप सिंह, बलराम मौर्य, रक्षाराम यादव, छोटे लाल यादव, अमृत राजपाल, मुकेश यादव, विधा भूषण पासी, जय सिंह यादव, ब्रिजेश सिंह चौहान, इजाज अहमद, इंद्रपाल यादव समेत बड़ी संख्या में पदाधिकारी और कार्यकर्ता मौजूद रहे। इसके अलावा कई पार्षद और स्थानीय नेता भी कार्यक्रम में शामिल हुए.

(रिपोर्ट:अनूप कुमार अयोध्या)

Cameron House, one of Scotland’s most famous luxury hotels, has been sold to Victory Group, a hospitality and real estate investment company founded by American investor Eric Moresco, in a deal reportedly worth up to £100 million, according to The Times (UK).Moresco is a former managing director of Blackstone and previously worked on mergers, acquisitions and real estate investment deals at Morgan Stanley in New York, London and Paris. He founded Victory Group in 2009, focusing on hospitality and real estate investments throughout Western Europe.The five-star resort on the shores of Loch Lomond was previously owned by KSL Capital Partners and is believed to be one of the most expensive hotel sales in Scotland in recent years.

Cameron House/Image: X

Victory confirmed the acquisition on Tuesday, which is the company’s first investment in Scotland. The luxury property includes 208 rooms, a golf course, spa facilities, self-catered lodges, a marina, restaurants and a private cinema.Commenting on the purchase, Moresco said Cameron House stood out because of its location, history and reputation in Scottish hospitality.“This acquisition reflects our strong belief in high-quality assets in attractive locations,” he said.“Cameron House combines breathtaking beauty, heritage and luxury with superb Scottish hospitality. We are excited to make our first acquisition in Scotland, and we continue to see the UK as an attractive investment market.”Victory Group is headquartered in London and specializes in hotel and property investments. Moresco founded the company with the aim of creating a more hands-on investment firm, where senior leadership remains closely involved in projects and long-term planning.Cameron House’s history dates back centuries and was the home of the Smollett family before being developed as a luxury hotel destination. The current Baronial-style building replaced an earlier castle in the 19th century, and the property has been operating as a hotel since 1990.KSL Capital Partners purchased the property in 2015 for more than £70 million and subsequently oversaw a major restoration project following a deadly fire in 2017 that killed two guests.

India, Japan sign agreement in quantum technology, health research cooperation

New Delhi: India and Japan on Wednesday strengthened their cooperation in emerging technologies and health research, with the two countries exchanging agreements in the field of quantum science and medical devices during a high-level bilateral meeting in New Delhi.Onoda Kimi, Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy and Space Policy of Japan, along with a high-level delegation, met Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh to discuss cooperation in cutting-edge technologies including quantum science, artificial intelligence, health research and advanced computing.The meeting saw the exchange of Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) in health and medical devices between Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Department of Science and Technology (DST). A Letter of Intent (LOI) on cooperation in quantum science and technology was also signed between the Cabinet Office of Japan and DST.The Ministry of Science and Technology said the partnership aims to advance the India-Japan strategic partnership in “science, technology and innovation” with a “strong focus on emerging and critical technologies”.Addressing the gathering, Dr Jitendra Singh said, “India and Japan share a natural synergy in science and technology. While Japan brings advanced technological capabilities, India offers a vast pool of talented human resources. Together, we can accelerate innovation in frontier areas and translate research into impactful social outcomes.”He said India’s growing focus on deep tech areas through national missions in “quantum technologies, cyber-physical systems, electric mobility, clean energy and advanced computing” is creating opportunities for “joint research, co-development and industrial partnerships”.The ministry said the discussions were also based on the outcomes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan in August 2025, where the two countries agreed to expand cooperation under the India-Japan Science, Technology and Innovation Partnership.Speaking during the conversation, Onoda Kimi lauded India’s “rapid economic growth and its strong commitment to innovation,” particularly the “large-scale adoption of artificial intelligence across all sectors.”He also said that his association with Indian academic institutions “reflects a strong culture of resilience among young researchers with the ability to learn from failure and continue to innovate.”According to the ministry, the Japanese side highlighted that the country’s strengths in “advanced manufacturing and computational technologies, including quantum and AI” closely match India’s growing technology ecosystem.The two sides also discussed cooperation under India’s National Quantum Mission, which covers areas such as quantum computing, communications, sensing and secure communication networks. Japan shared insights from its Quantum Innovation Hub and expressed interest in connecting them with Indian institutions.The discussions also covered researcher mobility programmes, joint innovation platforms and industry internships for Indian researchers in Japan, aimed at strengthening academic and industrial partnerships between the two countries.The ministry said the two countries agreed to deepen engagement through “researcher-to-researcher collaborations, institutional partnerships and industry ties” to further strengthen India-Japan cooperation in science, technology and innovation.

Kotwali Nagar Police, under the leadership of Area Officer City Swapnil Muyal, took action on the information of the informer. When the police team reached the third floor of Mahavir Apartment, the door of a flat was found slightly open. Inside the room, around 15 to 20 people were found gambling with cards and dice. The accused got scared on seeing the police, after which everyone was surrounded and caught.

According to the police, Rs 2,47,660 was recovered as gambling money from the spot, while cash was also found in the pockets of the accused during the search. The total amount recovered was estimated at Rs 3,10,600. A case was registered against all the accused under Section 3/4/5 Gambling Act and arrested. During the action, video and photography were also done through e-Saakshi app.

Read this also…Uttarakhand: Preparation and candidature of eight BJP MLAs may get stuck, two of the party failed on the basis of survey.

arrested accused

-Roshan Lal Bansal, resident Near Sanatan Dharma School, Jhanda Bazar, Dehradun

-Harish, resident 59 Rishinagar, Sahastradhara Road, Dehradun

-Sujal, resident Near Sanatan Dharma School, Jhanda Bazar, Dehradun

-Nikku Kumar, resident Sai Mandir, Tilak Road, Dehradun

-Sunny Paswan, resident Kargi Chowk, Brahmanwala, Dehradun

-Pritam Thapa, resident Kargi Chowk, Brahmanwala, Dehradun

-Sunil, resident of Aamwala, Nalapani, Sahastradhara Road, Dehradun.

-Intezar, resident Chandan Nagar, Kotwali Nagar, Dehradun

-Saurabh Jaiswal, resident Lakhibagh, Dehradun

-Vikas Kumar, resident Jhanda Bazar, Saharanpur Chowk, Dehradun

-Tarun Kumar (Arun Kumar at a place in Fard), resident of Rishinagar, Sahastradhara Road, Dehradun.

-Mukesh, resident Bud village, Kanwali Road, Dehradun

-Wajid Khan, resident of Brahmpuri, Niranjanpur, Dehradun

-Suraj Paswan, resident Brahmanwala, Brahmapuri, Dehradun

-Subodh Paswan, resident Lakhibagh, Kotwali Nagar, Dehradun

-Dilbar, resident Karanpur, River Rispana area, Dehradun

-Rakesh alias Tinka, resident of Rishinagar, Sahastradhara Road, Dehradun.

-Qadir, Resident Vigilance Office Road, Kargi, Dehradun