Review of 2016: US poll result sends shockwaves around the world
Martyn Mclaughlin finishes his review of what made the headlines in 2016 with a look back at October to December
OCTOBER
The Scottish government published its draft bill on a second independence referendum. The move does not guarantee another referendum will take place, but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland should be ready to hold a vote before the UK leaves the EU if it is felt necessary to protect Scottish interests.
In a speech at the annual Conservative Party conference, Prime Minister Theresa May announced that she will trigger Article 50 by the end of March 2017, setting in motion the two-year long Brexit process. The UK government approved plans to build a third runway at Heathrow to expand UK airport capacity. The controversial decision split the cabinet, with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson describing the project as “undeliverable.”
John Leathem, who stabbed 15-year-old Paige Doherty to death at his deli in Clydebank, was jailed for a minimum of 27 years at the High Court in Glasgow. The 32-year-old stabbed the teenager 61 times.
The Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled against a challenge by the Scotch Whisky Association and wine-makers to the Scottish Government’s plan for a minimum price for alcohol. Scotland’s most senior judge, Lord Carloway, ruled that the policy did not contravene European law.
Ronnie Coulter, from Wishaw, was convicted of the 1998 murder of Surjit Singh Chhokar after being tried for a second time. The 48-year-old was originally cleared of stabbing the 32-year-old in Overtown, North Lanarkshire, following a trial in 1999.
Footballer Ched Evans was found not guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman in a hotel room. The striker was originally found guilty of rape at Caernarfon Crown Court in 2012, but his conviction was quashed in April. He was found not guilty of the same charge after a retrial at Cardiff Crown Court.
Ukip leader Diane James quit her role after just 18 days in job, claiming that she did not have “sufficient authority, nor the full support” of the party’s MEPS and officers.
Legendary singer Bob Dylan was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature, becoming the first songwriter to win the prestigious prize.
FBI director James Carney announced the bureau was reopening its investigation into emails linked to Hillary Clinton’s private email server, sparking a political storm just a few days before the US election. The same month, a videotape emerged showing Donald Trump boasting of groping and kissing women without consent.
Thousands of people were left temporarily homeless after Italy’s most powerful earthquake in 36 years. The magnitude of the quake, which struck north of the town of Norcia in Umbria, was recorded by the US Geological Service at 6.6, with a depth of six miles.
In a surprise referendum result, voters in Colombia rejected a peace deal to end 52 years of war with the Farc guerrilla group. President Juan Manuel Santos said he accepted the result but would continue working to achieve peace.
France announced it had completed an operation to remove thousands of migrants from the so-called ‘Jungle’ camp in Calais.
Pete Burns, the singer with pop band Dead Or Alive died aged 57 after suffered a “massive cardiac arrest,” his management said. Jean Alexander, the actress best known for her roles as Hilda Ogden in Coronation Street and Auntie Wainwright in Last of the Summer Wine, died three days after celebrating her 90th birthday.
The US ended Europe’s run of victories in the Ryder Cup after winning 17-11 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota.
Tennis star Jamie Murray was awarded an OBE by the Queen for services to his sport and charity.
NOVEMBER
In one of the greatest upsets in modern political history, billionaire and Republican candidate Donald Trump defied the odds, polls and commentators to win the US presidency. The 70-year-old, whose campaign was amongst the most divisive in living memory, promised to “bind the wounds of division” following his victory. Just two days before the election, the FBI said it had found no evidence of criminality in a new batch of Hillary Clinton emails. Thomas Mair, a rightwing extremist, was sentenced to prison for the rest of his life for the murder of the Labour MP Jo Cox. The 53-year-old, who repeatedly shot and stabbed the politician, made no effort to defend himself at his trial at the Old Bailey.
Three judges at the High Court ruled that Prime Minister Theresa May cannot trigger Article 50 by March 2017 without parliament’s support. However, Ms May said she was confident that the UK government would win its appeal against the decision.
A succession of former footballers spoke out about sexual abuse they had suffered as children, sparking a major investigation into historic abuse within the British game.
Defence secretary Michael Fallon announced that eight military sites in Scotland, including major Army bases such as Fort George in the Highlands, will be closed over the next 16 years as part of efforts to reduce the size of the defence estate by a fifth.
A fatal accident inquiry into the death of eight-year-old Ciaran Williamson, who was killed when a headstone fell on him at a cemetery in the Cardonald area of Glasgow, heard that up to 900 headstones at the site were deemed unsafe days after the tragedy in May 2015.
The Belgian firm Ageas said
it was consulting on the closure of its Kwik Fit insurance services office in Uddingston, putting more than 500 jobs at risk.
The Accounts Commission watchdog warned that over a third of Scotland’s 32 local authorities will face a funding gap by 2018 that is larger than their reserves
Skyscanner, the Edinburghheadquartered travel search business, was bought by Ctrip, China’s biggest online travel firm, in a deal worth around £1.4 billion.
Organisers of T in the Park, Scotland’s biggest musical festival, confirmed the event will not be held in 2017, citing logistical and financial constraints due to planning conditions.
Scientists monitoring the North Pole revealed temperatures near there are 20C warmer than the average for the time of year.
Iraqi soldiers advancing on the Islamicstate-held town of Hamam al-alil, south of Mosul, discovered a mass grave containing an estimated 100 or so decapitated bodies.
Fidel Castro, one of the most recognisable figures of the 20th century, died at the age of 90. The death of Cuba’s former president prompted outpourings of grief and celebrations across Cuba and the US.
Leonard Cohen, the hugely influential singer and songwriter whose work spanned nearly half a century, died at the age of 82. The broadcasting world mourned the loss of Sir Jimmy Young, who entertained Radio 2 listeners for more than three decades. He was 95.
Andy Murray said he felt “very proud” to become the first British singles player to be world number one since computerised rankings began in 1973.
In an historic and highlycharged win, the Chicago Cubs triumphed in Major League Baseball’s World Series, the first time the side had emerged victorious in the contest since 1908.
Rangers announced they had agreed to terminate the contract of midfielder Joey Barton with immediate effect.
DECEMBER
Scotland’s schools recorded their worst ever performance in an international survey of pupils. For the first time since the tests began, the country’s scores for maths, reading and science were classed as “average”, with none “above average” in the latest Programme for International Student Assessment figures.
Stewart Regan, chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, apologised for failing to properly deal with a past allegation of abuse against a youth coach and assistant referee. Elsewhere, Jim Mccafferty, a former Celtic youth coach, was arrested by police in Northern Ireland over allegations of sexual offences against children. The SFA later announce an inquiry into child sexual abuse.
The Supreme Court held a historic four day-long hearing over Brexit to determine who has the ability to trigger it. The 11 justices at the court are currently considering their judgement on whether the UK government or parliament has that power.
MP Michelle Thomson gave an emotive address at a House of Commons debate on violence against women, revealing she was raped at the age of 14.
Relatives of those who died in the 2014 Glasgow bin lorry crash failed in their attempt to bring a private prosecution against the driver of the vehicle.
Finance secretary Derek Mackay pledged a funding increase of £240m for local services as part of his draft budget, but critics warned the amount of money going to local authorities would fall in real terms.
Legislation making it illegal to smoke in a car with anyone under the age of 18 came into force in Scotland.
More than prisoners are moved out of HMP Birmingham following a 12-hour riot at the jail. Inmates took over four wings and started fires in the incident, which left one man hospitalised.
The Liberal Democrats scored a surprise by-election victory after Sarah Olney defeated former Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith.
In international news, 12 people were killed and 49 others injured after a lorry was driven through crowds gathered at the Breitscheidplatz Christmas market in Berlin. Islamic State said one of its militants carried out the attack, but offered no evidence.
Across the Atlantic, President-elect Donald Trump picked a fight with CIA after describing its assessment that Russian hackers tried to influence the US election in his favour as “ridiculous.”
The United Nations said it had reliable evidence that at least 82 civilians were shot on sight by Syrian pro-government forces in Aleppo, with women and children among the victims. Thousands of people, including dozens of orphans, later left the besieged city in one of its biggest evacuations yet.
The actor, Andrew Sachs, beloved for his role as the Spanish waiter, Manuel, in Fawlty Towers, died at the age of 86. The former astronaut and US senator, John Glenn, who was the first American to orbit the Earth, died aged 95. AA Gill, the award-winning journalist and critic, died less than a month after revealing he was seriously ill with cancer in his newspaper column. He was 62.
In Scotland, the political community mourned the loss of two longstanding Conservative figures. Alex Johnstone, a member of the Scottish Parliament since 1999, died at the age of 55, while Allan Stewart, the former MP who served as a junior minister in the Scotland Office under Margaret Thatcher, died aged 74.
In sport, the Scottish Football Association’s appointment of Malky Mackay as its new performance director prompts a backlash following the well publicised and controversial texts he sent while employed as Cardiff City manager.