Connect with us

News & Knowledge / Facts

Campaigner fears ministers are ‘trying to run us out of money’ after gender equality decision #Campaigner #fears #ministers #run #money #gender #equality #decision

Published

6 days ago

on

For Women Scotland is preparing to take on the Scottish Government again in 2026, with a legal challenge to the policy allowing transgender women to be placed in the women’s prison wing.

The action follows the group’s success at the Supreme Court in April, when judges ruled that the term “woman” in the Equality Act referred to biological sex.

While the Scottish Government said it accepted the decision, For Women Scotland director Susan Smith said ministers had not yet paid legal costs owed to the group after the case.

Speaking to the Press Association, Ms Smith said she feared it was a “deliberate strategy”.

Referring to the Scottish Government, the campaigner said: “They haven’t paid us yet because they owe us fees.

“We think if they put this off for as long as possible, we’ll have to go back to court to sort this out, but even then it will take them months to pay.

“I think it’s a deliberate strategy on their part.”

For Women Scotland spent more than £400,000 on the previous case, she added, saying it was crowdfunded and bolstered by a “significant donation” from Harry Potter author JK Rowling, for which the group is “very grateful”.

Ms Smith added: “The Scottish Government is obviously very reluctant to pay.

Susan Smith, left, and Marion Calder, director of For Women Scotland
Susan Smith, left, and Marion Calder, director of For Women Scotland, celebrated April’s ruling at the Supreme Court (Lucy North/PA)

“Luckily our lawyers know we’ll be good at it, but at the moment it’s a little difficult and we think we can’t keep going back to people and asking them to donate, because people have already been very generous and we can’t keep putting people in this position.

“I think that’s what the government is counting on, that they’re going to continue to try to run us out of money.”

His comments come ahead of a judicial review in 2026 into the “scandal” which could lead to transgender women being placed in women’s prisons.

Ms Smith said the policy has “been a disaster”, adding that prisoners who are “already very vulnerable women” are placed in “very difficult situations”.

She insisted: “This is a violation of these women’s human rights. If they were prisoners of war, this would not be permitted under the Geneva Convention.”

For Women Scotland “doesn’t know exactly” how many transgender women are incarcerated in women’s prisons, she said, adding that the Scottish Government had “stopped allowing figures to be published” – with Ms Smith saying this “tells its own story”.

Rowling
For Women Scotland received a “significant donation” from JK Rowling to fund the Supreme Court trial (Yui Mok/PA)

With the case expected to be heard in 2026, she added: “We face yet another judicial review to get the government to implement the Supreme Court’s findings. »

While For Women Scotland won its Supreme Court case this year, Ms Smith said there is still a “huge reluctance” from many organizations to act on the ruling – calling it “wearying”.

More than eight months after this victory, she insists: “We are still very happy to have won, obviously, we are still extremely happy that the law is on our side. »

But Ms Smith said the group had “perhaps underestimated” how “entrenched” the “ideology” of trans rights had become.

As a result, she added: “I think there is a huge reluctance on the part of some organizations to get rid of it.

“The law is with us, but I think it will take a few more attempts to really understand everything, and it’s a bit boring.

“I think we kind of naively assumed that organizations would start to take responsibility.”

However, she made clear that women’s rights are “certainly in a better place” than they were a year ago following the Supreme Court ruling, adding: “It is now going to be difficult to get everyone to accept what the ruling says.” »

Scottish Conservative equalities spokesperson Tess White said: “For Scottish women, suspicion is entirely understandable, given the SNP government’s shameful and faltering response to the Supreme Court defeat. »

The Conservative added: “Instead of giving a clear directive to Scottish public bodies to comply with the ruling on the legal definition of a woman – accompanied by an apology for wrongly imposing a gender identification on them in the first place – John Swinney procrastinated and stalled for months. »

Ms White insisted: “Nationalist ministers must promptly reimburse the FWS for the legal costs incurred in courageously defending the women they betrayed.

“John Swinney should also stop defending the indefensible and accept that no male prisoners should be allowed in a women’s prison, period.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government has made clear that it accepts the Supreme Court’s decision and is continuing with the detailed work required.

“There is an established process by which parties seek to establish the final costs payable for a court matter. Hearings have been fixed for January 22, 2026 in relation to the Court of Session’s Bill of Costs and February 13, 2026 in relation to the Supreme Court Bill of Costs.”



Source link
#Campaigner #fears #ministers #run #money #gender #equality #decision

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

News & Knowledge / Facts

EAM S. Jaishankar to attend ex-Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia’s fund in Dhaka tomorrow #EAM #Jaishankar #attend #exBangladesh #Khaleda #Zias #fund #Dhaka #tomorrow

Published

36 minutes ago

on

December 30, 2025

By

New Delhi: Foreign Minister S Jaishankar will attend the funeral of Bangladesh’s first woman Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on Wednesday, according to a foreign ministry statement.

“Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will represent the Government and people of India at the funeral of Begum Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and President of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He will therefore visit Dhaka on December 31, 2025,” the statement said.

Begum Khaleda Zia died today early morning at the age of 80, while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.
According to a BNP statement on Facebook, Zia died around 6 a.m. (local time), shortly after the Fajr prayer. “Khaleda Zia died around 6 a.m., just after Fajr prayers,” the BNP statement said.

“We pray for the eternal peace of his soul and ask everyone to pray for his departed soul,” the text adds.


Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital Dhaka on November 23 for a lung infection. The former prime minister has long suffered from various physical illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver cirrhosis and kidney complications, and earlier this month she was sent to London for advanced medical treatment for her illnesses.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sadness over the demise of former Bangladesh Prime Minister and BNP Chairman, extending condolences to his family and the people of Bangladesh. In an article on

“Deeply saddened to learn of the death of former Prime Minister and BNP President Begum Khaleda Zia in Dhaka. Our deepest condolences to her family and all the people of Bangladesh. May the Almighty grant her family the fortitude to bear this tragic loss,” the Prime Minister said.

World leaders on Tuesday continued to express their condolences over the death of former Bangladesh Prime Minister and BNP chairwoman Begum Khaleda Zia, remembering her as a prominent democratic leader in her country.

Nepal’s Acting Prime Minister Sushila Karki said she was “deeply saddened” by the death of Khaleda Zia and offered condolences, on behalf of the government and people of Nepal, to her family and the people of Bangladesh.

“Begum Zia leaves behind a lifelong legacy of public service, with her enduring leadership marking a historic chapter in her country’s democratic journey,” Karki said in an article on



Source link
#EAM #Jaishankar #attend #exBangladesh #Khaleda #Zias #fund #Dhaka #tomorrow

Continue Reading

News & Knowledge / Facts

Legacy of Leadership: Khaleda Zia’s Role in Bangladesh’s Democracy #Legacy #Leadership #Khaleda #Zias #Role #Bangladeshs #Democracy

Published

1 hour ago

on

December 30, 2025

By

Khaleda Zia, a dominant figure in Bangladesh’s political landscape, played a pivotal role in the restoration of democracy after military rule. As the country’s first female prime minister, she played a crucial role in unifying the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) during turbulent times.

Despite significant contributions, Zia’s tenure was marked by complex relations between India and Bangladesh. Allegations of support for Northeast insurgents strained ties, particularly during his second term, when alliances with Jamaat-e-Islami drew criticism from India on security grounds.

Zia’s legacy is highlighted by his leadership in the peaceful transition from dictatorship. However, his passing leaves the BNP at a crossroads, with his son Tarique Rahman set to lead the party amid ongoing electoral challenges.

(With input from agencies.)



Source link
#Legacy #Leadership #Khaleda #Zias #Role #Bangladeshs #Democracy

Continue Reading

News & Knowledge / Facts

MARKETS EUROPE/DAX is up slightly at target level #MARKETS #EUROPEDAX #slightly #target #level

Published

3 hours ago

on

December 30, 2025

By

DJ MARKETS EUROPA/DAX is up slightly from the target level

DOW JONES–European stock markets are higher Tuesday afternoon. There is little news and most investors are no longer active as the start of the year approaches. We cannot exclude the so-called “window dressing” of individual stocks, i.e. the targeted maintenance of prices in the portfolios of institutional investors. On some exchanges, trading is shortened only on Tuesdays. Trading in Germany and Austria ends at 2 p.m. THIS. While today is the last trading day of the year on some exchanges, shortened listings will take place on Wednesday in Lisbon, London, Madrid and Paris.

The DAX gained 0.5 percent to 24,476 points; the index is up 22 percent since the start of the year. The DAX can look back on an excellent year overall. “A closer look, however, shows that only the first half of the year was excellent for the DAX. The second half of the year was more of a sideways trend,” explains QC Partners. The MDAX is once again lagging and is up 19 percent year to date. The TecDAX has a meager yield of 5 percent. This continues the pattern of German blue-chip companies performing better in their international operations than German mid-sized companies. Whether this will change with Germany’s billion-dollar investment program remains to be seen.

The Euro-Stoxx-50 rose by 0.6 percent to 5,789 points. The majority of the year’s best-performing countries come from the South, where European economic growth was based last year. The Spanish stock market rose by 48 percent, while in Athens the index even rose by 50 percent.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro changes little, at $1.1769; During the year, the greenback lost a lot of value. This is unlikely to make it easier for European companies to sell more expensive products around the world due to the strength of the euro next year. Yields on the bond markets are up slightly. After the liquidation of the day before, precious metals are recovering. The price of gold rose 1.2 percent to $4,385, silver rose 3.8 percent to $74.90. Not surprisingly, European mining stocks were one of the day’s winners, rising 1.6 percent. Shares of silver producer Fresnillo rose 5.5 percent.

The geopolitical situation remains tense. US President Donald Trump has threatened Iran with a military strike if the country resumes its nuclear program. Meanwhile, Hamas was threatened with serious consequences if the terrorist organization did not lay down its arms. Finally, China is organizing one of the largest military exercises in recent years off the coast of Taiwan. This is likely a reaction to the recent announcement of US arms deliveries to the island nation.

Additionally, the United States recently carried out an attack on a port area in Venezuela where US President Trump said drugs were being loaded onto boats and smuggled across international waters, saying a “big explosion” had occurred. Oil prices are barely reacting to this news. Brent is up 0.4 percent.

Defense stocks are recovering after the selling pressures of the day before. There is still no sign of progress in peace or ceasefire negotiations in Ukraine. Rheinmetall gained 2.1 percent, Renk 2.5 percent and Hensoldt 0.9 percent.

Meanwhile, bank stocks continue to run. The sector can look forward to a good year in 2025 thanks to the rise in yields on the bond markets. Deutsche Bank gains 1.5 percent and Commerzbank 2.0 percent.

Chipmaker Infineon’s sales growth (+1.8%) is down, with only one sector seeing strong growth: semiconductors to power AI data centers. “We are seeing a strong increase in demand and many indicators suggest that this will continue in the coming years,” CEO Jochen Hanebeck told Handelsblatt. “We currently cannot deliver as much as customers order.” 

=== 
INDEX           zuletzt    +/- %  absolut +/- % YTD 
Euro-Stoxx-50      5.788,57    +0,6%   36,86   +17,4% 
Stoxx-50         4.918,84    +0,5%   25,52   +13,6% 
DAX           24.476,16    +0,5%   125,04   +22,3% 
MDAX          30.548,50    +0,3%   95,97   +18,4% 
TecDAX          3.613,61    +0,4%   13,79   +5,0% 
SDAX          17.094,60    +0,5%   78,05   +22,6% 
CAC           8.141,91    +0,4%   29,89   +9,8% 
SMI           13.259,65    +0,1%   19,06   +14,2% 
ATX           5.304,29    +1,1%   56,33   +43,2% 
 
DEVISEN          zuletzt    +/- %    0:00 Mo, 18:00  % YTD 
EUR/USD          1,1769    +0,0%   1,1767   1,1756  +13,7% 
EUR/JPY          183,56    -0,1%   183,67   183,59  +13,1% 
EUR/CHF          0,9286    -0,1%   0,9291   0,9287  -1,0% 
EUR/GBP          0,8715    -0,0%   0,8716   0,8712  +5,4% 
USD/JPY          155,94    -0,1%   156,03   156,12  -0,5% 
GBP/USD          1,3505    +0,0%   1,3502   1,3494  +7,9% 
USD/CNY          7,0292    -0,0%   7,0312   7,0324  -2,3% 
USD/CNH          6,9881    -0,2%   6,9987   7,0001  -4,5% 
AUS/USD          0,6701    +0,1%   0,6693   0,6690  +8,4% 
Bitcoin/USD       87.770,40    +0,6% 87.232,35 87.544,55  -7,3% 
 
ROHÖL           zuletzt VT-Settlem.   +/- %  +/- USD  % YTD 
WTI/Nymex          58,29    58,08   +0,4%    0,21  -20,9% 
Brent/ICE          62,12    61,94   +0,3%    0,18  -19,4% 
 
METALLE          zuletzt    Vortag   +/- %  +/- USD  % YTD 
Gold           4.384,52   4.330,40   +1,2%   54,12  +72,8% 
Silber           74,90    72,18   +3,8%    2,73 +173,6% 
Platin          1.854,76   1.791,70   +3,5%   63,06 +137,7% 
Kupfer            5,49     5,49     0%    0,00  +33,6% 
YTD bezogen auf Schlussstand des Vortags 
(Angaben ohne Gewähr) 
===

Contact the author: maerkte.de@dowjones.com

DJG/thl/ros

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 30, 2025 7:01 a.m. ET (12:01 p.m. GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.



Source link
#MARKETS #EUROPEDAX #slightly #target #level

Continue Reading

Trending