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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 29 June 2022
Scottish leader calls for new independence vote next year

By SYLVIA HUI does go ahead as pro-
Associated Press posed, a majority vote will
LONDON (AP) — Scotland’s not by itself make Scotland
leader told lawmakers in independent from the rest
Edinburgh Tuesday that she of the U.K.
plans to hold a fresh refer- “For Scotland to become
endum on Scotland’s inde- independent following a
pendence on Oct. 19, 2023 yes vote, legislation would
— even though U.K. Prime have to be passed by the
Minister Boris Johnson main- U.K. and Scottish Parlia-
tains it wasn’t the right time ments,” Sturgeon stressed.
for such a vote. Sturgeon maintains that
First Minister Nicola Stur- her party’s success in local
geon said the question to elections last year gives her
be asked will be the same a mandate for a fresh refer-
as that in Scotland’s first in- endum. While the Scottish
dependence vote in 2014: National Party did not win
“Should Scotland be an in- overall control in the Scot-
dependent country?” tish Parliament, the elec-
The U.K.-wide government tion of a record number of
of Johnson opposes a Scottish Green lawmakers
new referendum and has means there is a majority
repeatedly said the issue for a new independence
was settled in 2014, when Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon delivers a statement to lawmakers in the Scottish vote.
55% saying they wanted to Parliament, Edinburgh, Tuesday June 28, 2022, on her plans to hold a fresh referendum on Scottish Sturgeon said that if there
independence on Oct. 19, 2023.
remain part of the United Associated Press was no lawful way for the
Kingdom. Scottish government to
Scotland’s government re- be writing to Johnson to in- whether yes, no or yet to A spokesman for Johnson’s hold a referendum, and if
quires a special order from form him of her plans. be decided, to express office said his position is un- Johnson’s government re-
Johnson to legally hold a Sturgeon, who leads the their views in a legal, con- changed and he “contin- fused to grant permission
referendum. Scottish National Party and stitutional referendum so ues to think it’s not the time for such a vote, she would
Sturgeon said she will ask the devolved government the majority view can be to be talking about a refer- fight the next U.K. general
the U.K. Supreme Court to in Scotland, insists it’s time established fairly and dem- endum.” election on the single issue
rule on the Scottish gov- to revisit the matter of in- ocratically,” she said Tues- The spokesman said the of independence.
ernment’s right to hold the dependence, not least be- day. government will not be Opposition parties have
vote if Johnson does not cause of Britain’s exit from “We will study it very care- drawn into “hypotheticals” criticized Sturgeon for her
give the go-ahead. the European Union — a fully and we will respond about whether it would “obsession” with holding a
Scotland’s most senior law move opposed by a major- properly ... I certainly think open negotiations for Scot- new independence vote
official has referred the ity of Scots. that we’ll be able to have tish independence if Scots and say she should instead
matter to the top court on “My determination is to se- a stronger economy and a vote for it in a referendum be focused on more practi-
Tuesday, she said. cure a process that allows stronger country together,” next year. cal matters such as tackling
She added that she would the people of Scotland, he told reporters. Even if the referendum the soaring cost of living.q

Explorers find WWII Navy ship, deepest

wreck discovered

explorer Victor Vescovo, nese Navy suffered its big- According to Samuel J.
founder of Dallas-based gest loss of ships and failed Cox, a retired admiral and
Caladan Oceanic Expedi- to dislodge the U.S. forces naval historian, Copeland
tions. He announced the from Leyte, which they in- stated there was “no high-
latest find together with vaded earlier as part of the er honor” then to have led
U.K.-based EYOS Expedi- liberation of the Philippines. the men who displayed
tions. According to some records, such incredible courage
“It was an extraordinary the destroyer escort dis- going into battle against
In this Wednesday, June 22, 2022, image provided by Caladan honor to locate this incred- abled a Japanese heavy overwhelming odds, from
Oceanic, the three-tube torpedo launcher that was part of the
USS Samuel B. Roberts can be seen underwater off the Philippines ibly famous ship, and by cruiser with a torpedo and which survival could not be
in the Western Pacific Ocean. doing so have the chance significantly damaged an- expected.
Associated Press to retell her story of hero- other while battling the The explorers said that up
MANILA, Philippines (AP) “Sammy B,” was identified ism and duty to those who group led by the com- until the discovery, the his-
— A U.S. Navy destroyer es- on Wednesday broken may not know of the ship mand battleship Yamato. torical records of where the
cort that engaged a supe- into two pieces on a slope and her crew’s sacrifice,” After having spent virtually wreck lay were not very
rior Japanese fleet in the at a depth of 6,985 meters Vescovo, a former Navy all its ammunition, accurate. The search in-
largest sea battle of World (22,916 feet). commander, said in a it was critically hit by the volved the use of the deep-
War II in the Philippines That puts it 426 meters statement. battleship Kongo and sank. est side-scan sonar ever in-
has become the deepest (1,400 feet) deeper than The Sammy B. took part in Of a 224-man crew, 89 stalled and operated on a
wreck to be discovered, the USS Johnston, the previ- the Battle off Samar, the died and 120 were saved, submersible, well beyond
according to explorers. ous deepest wreck discov- final phase of the Battle of including the captain, Lt. the standard commercial
The USS Samuel B. Roberts, ered last year in the Philip- Leyte Gulf in October 1944, Cmdr. Robert W. Cope- limitations of 6,000 meters
popularly known as the pine Sea also by American in which the Imperial Japa- land. (19,685 feet), EYOS said.q