
Info Minister warns of strict action against illegal protestors in IslamabadLooking ahead, the future of overseas warehousing in Southeast Asia looks promising, with continued investments in technology, infrastructure, and logistics networks expected to drive further growth and innovation. As businesses seek to capitalize on the region's economic potential and tap into its growing consumer base, the demand for efficient and reliable overseas warehousing solutions is only set to increase.Moving forward, it is crucial for universities to continue fostering an environment where all students feel safe, respected, and supported. By promoting cultural awareness, gender equality, and mutual understanding, universities can create a community where diversity is celebrated and differences are embraced.
Zelensky insists on a 'just peace' at Trump Paris meeting
Breaking news Our journalists are working right now to gather more details for you. The BDN publishes only verified information from trusted sources, so we don’t cite social media hearsay or police scanner chatter. Send a tip here . The Bangor Walmart was temporarily evacuated on Saturday. The store was reopened by 4:09 p.m., an employee at the store told the Bangor Daily News. The employee did not know the cause of the evacuation. A phone call to the Bangor Fire Department was not immediately returned. More articles from the BDNTitle: Prime Minister Agrees to Transfer Power to Opposition: Meeting to Coordinate Transition DetailsNFL NOTES
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh ushered in reforms that not only rescued his country from the brink of financial collapse but transformed it into an economic powerhouse. Manmohan Singh spent more than four decades in public service, during which he wore many hats, as central bank governor, finance minister, and then prime minister. Singh was born in 1932 in the village of Gah, which is in present-day Pakistan . By the time British India was partitioned into two countries — India and Pakistan — he and his family had moved to the Indian side of the border in Amritsar, Punjab. Singh was a highly qualified public servant. He completed his Economic Tripos at the University of Cambridge, and later received his doctorate at the University of Oxford. He began his career in academics, starting as an economics lecturer at a university and later worked with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. By the time he returned to India in 1969, he was a renowned economist. He started working with the Indian government and subsequently rose to key positions. He was appointed as chief economic advisor to the government of India and later as the governor of India's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). After another brief stint abroad, he returned to become the prime minister's advisor. Liberalizing the Indian economy Singh's moment in the sun came in 1991. That's when his tryst with politics began. At the time, India was facing its worst economic crisis. Its foreign exchange reserves were barely enough to meet a few weeks of imports and the country was looking at a sovereign default. PV Narasimha Rao, who took over as India's new prime minister in June 1991, appointed Singh to steer the Indian economy out of crisis as his finance minister. A month after the prime minister and his cabinet were sworn in, Singh presented his first budget. He gave a landmark speech in parliament that shifted the course of the economy. India went from socialism and protectionism to market-based liberalization. The reforms not only staved off an economic crisis, but they also ushered in unprecedented growth in the subsequent years that brought millions of people out of poverty and raised living standards for average Indians. Return to power More than a decade after his historic speech, Singh found himself in the limelight once again. The Indian National Congress, the country's grand old party of which Singh was a member, won the 2004 parliamentary elections. It seemed that powerful Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was all set to become the prime minister. But Gandhi, the Italian-born widow of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, decided to not take up the highest office in the country amid political outrage over her foreign origins. Instead, she picked Singh as prime minister. During his tenure, he worked with several world leaders, including two US presidents. One of them was Barack Obama who, in his book 'A Promised Land', described Singh as "a man of uncommon wisdom and decency." Manmohan Singh was "a self-effacing technocrat who'd won people's trust not by appealing to their passions but by bringing about higher standards of living and maintaining a well-earned reputation of not being corrupt," Obama wrote in his post-presidency memoir. A 'weak' prime minister? Critics say the reason Sonia Gandhi anointed him was because even though he had impeccable credentials, Singh had virtually no political power. Never in his political career did he win a popular election. The one time he contested as a Congress candidate in the 1999 election, he lost. From 1991 to 2019, Singh was a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament elected by a state legislature where the Congress held a majority. He simply could not pose a challenge to Gandhi, who retained real power in government. This remained one of the biggest criticisms of Singh's premiership that lasted from 2004 to 2014. Singh's legacy was further marred by a series of corruption scandals. While he was never personally implicated in any of the scandals, he was seen as lacking control of his party which was widely perceived as corrupt. He defended his record in one of the last press conferences he gave as prime minister. "I do not believe that I have been a weak prime minister... I honestly believe that history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media or for that matter the opposition in parliament," he said. "Given the political compulsions, I have done the best I could do," Singh said. Edited by: Shamil ShamsKam Jones scored 20 points and dished with 10 assists to lead the No. 10 Marquette Golden Eagles to a 94-62 victory over the visiting Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee. Jones added six rebounds for Marquette (8-0), which is off to its best start since winning 10 straight to begin the 2011-12 campaign that ended with a Sweet 16 appearance. Ben Gold added 12 points, while Stevie Mitchell scored 10 and had three steals. David Joplin, Caedin Hamilton and Royce Parham each netted nine points for the Golden Eagles. The Catamounts (2-4) were led by Bernard Pelote's 13 points and eight boards. Jamar Livingston chipped in 10 points and CJ Hyland bundled five points with five rebounds and six assists. Marquette controlled most of the game, thanks largely to 51.4 percent shooting and 21 takeaways. The Golden Eagles built a 16-point lead in the first half before Western Carolina clawed within 37-28 with 3:55 left. Marquette responded with a 12-2 run to take a 49-30 advantage into the break, its largest lead of the game to that point. The game quickly got out of hand from there, with the Golden Eagles eventually scoring 11 straight points to push its lead to 81-45 with 7:15 remaining. Marquette finished with 26 points off of Catamount turnovers and hit 14 of 40 shots (35.0 percent) from 3-point range. The win wasn't all smooth sailing for the Golden Eagles, who lost backup guard Zaide Lowery to an apparent left knee injury. Lowery was helped off the court and into the locker room by his teammates with 1:36 left in the game. Saturday's game was a final tune-up for Marquette, which has three challenging games coming up against No. 5 Iowa State, No. 15 Wisconsin and Dayton before Big East conference play begins Dec. 18. --Field Level Media
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Sana Biotechnology to Present at December 2024 Investor ConferencesAs Thter resumes full training with the team, the coaching staff will monitor his progress closely to ensure he is fully match-fit before considering him for selection in upcoming matches. His return to action will be a significant boost for Bayern Munich as they look to continue their strong start to the season and compete for silverware on all fronts.To address these issues and revitalize the left wing, Arsenal must prioritize signing a natural left-footed winger who can provide balance and unpredictability in attack. This would allow Saka to play in his preferred role on the right wing, where he can maximize his impact and influence on the game. Additionally, the team needs to work on improving the defensive discipline and work rate of the left-sided players, ensuring that they contribute both offensively and defensively throughout the match.2024 wasn’t an earth-shaking year for new tech products, but it was significant when it comes to the tech industry’s impact on society and vice versa. Larry Magid columnist. Tech titans had a big impact on the 2024 election, starting with Elon Musk, whose net worth exceeds $400 billion thanks to his work and investments at several tech companies, including Zip2, PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, SolarCity and Neurolink. He’s also the owner of Twitter, but that subtracted from his financial net worth while increasing his political clout. Although you can’t point to one thing that turned the election, Musk’s endorsement and financial support were a major boon to the Trump campaign. Musk wasn’t the only tech billionaire to endorse the president-elect. Despite Silicon Valley’s liberal tradition, a number of other tech moguls did their share, including Oracle founder Larry Ellison, PayPal and Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel, and Netscape author and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen. Tech’s cozy relationship with the new administration didn’t end on Nov. 5. Since then, Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have donated to Trump’s inaugural fund. Vice President-elect JD Vance, in addition to being a best-selling author, headed up a venture capital firm that invested in tech companies. On more than one occasion, Vance visited Silicon Valley to raise funds for the Trump-Vance ticket. Australian law There has also been legislation around tech, including a recently passed Australian law that would ban social media for anyone under 16. There were numerous state laws introduced in the U.S. around regulating artificial intelligence. Though it’s still not a law, the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act passed the Senate 91-3. The European Union passed an act regulating AI. Product announcements Related Articles Business | Most medical debt can no longer hurt your credit score under new California law Business | These California homeowners paid millions to have ADUs built. The best they got were permits or port-a-potties Business | Bay Area home sales are up 14% from last year, as once-reluctant buyers return to market Business | Who Is Steve Davis, Elon Musk’s go-to cost-cutter now working for DOGE? Business | 5 health bills impacting California patients in 2025 Though it’s not clear when it will ship, Meta announced its Orion AR Glasses, the company’s first true augmented reality glasses that feature holographic displays that can superimpose computer-generated images over what you’re seeing in the physical world. Using AI, they can also interpret and explain what you’re seeing. These glasses are probably still a few years away, but Meta has had success this year with its current generation Ray-Ban | Meta Smart Glasses. The glasses don’t have a smart display, but they play music, enable phone calls, read out text messages and describe what you’re looking at, which they see through a camera on the frames. It’s too early to say for sure, but it’s quite possible that future iterations of smart glasses will replace smartphones for many people, putting Meta in a good position to eventually compete with Apple, which dominates the U.S. smartphone market. We’re also seeing growth in the smart ring category. Oura Ring, which popularized the category, came out with its new Oura Ring 4 in 2024. Ringconn, another smart-ring maker, also updated its offering, but 2024 is also the year that a major company, Samsung, entered the market. It’s too early to tell whether smart rings will get as much traction as smart watches, but they do some of the same tasks, especially for health and fitness, such as heart rate and blood oxygen sensing. Meta also has its Quest VR headset, but now Apple is in that space with its 2024 introduction of the Apple Vision Pro, a very expensive VR/AR headset that Apple bills as “spatial computing.” Generative AI Generative AI was the big story last year, but there were lots of new developments in 2024, Both Apple and Google made their annual smartphone and watch announcements this fall. Apple’s new iPhone 16 Series includes advanced AI-powered features such as Image Playground for photo and video editing and features that, according to Apple, help you “write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly.” Apple does the processing on the phone itself, and not the cloud, which is pretty amazing considering that phones have limited memory, storage and processing power compared with cloud-based systems. Google’s 2024 Series 9 phones have the company’s Gemini AI built in. You can now engage in a conversation with your phone with it understanding context. For example, you could say “how old is Tom Cruise,” and after you get the answer ask, “where was he born.” This contextual conversation mode is showing up in many AI products, including popular Generative AI services such as ChatGPT. Microsoft has also integrated AI into its Windows operating system, and Apple Intelligence is now built into MacOS. Google, in addition to building AI into its hardware, introduced Google Gemini Advanced, which, when you ask it what is does, says it’s “designed to excel at complex tasks like logical reasoning, coding, following intricate instructions, and creative collaboration.” The news isn’t entirely good for tech. There was backlash in 2024 that includes layoffs at many tech companies (along with some rehiring after the 2023 layoffs), global anti-trust actions against big tech, including Google, Amazon, Meta and Apple, and increased concerns about mental health and well-being on social media and other tech products. Happy New Year I’m not a fortune teller, but I’m pretty sure 2025 will bring lots of new advancements to tech, including further integration of AI into everyday products. It will also be a tumultuous year as the new administration takes over with lots of likely tech announcements, especially given the relationship between the incoming president and tech billionaires including Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and others. We’ll see an increased interest in cryptocurrency, AI regulation and a revisiting of rebates and subsidies of energy-saving tech. Whatever comes, I’m wishing you a happy, healthy and calm new year. Larry Magid is a tech journalist and internet safety activist. Contact him at larry@larrymagid.com.
The strategic location of Southeast Asia, at the crossroads of major trade routes, has further cemented its position as a hub for overseas warehousing. Businesses operating in the region can easily access markets in Asia, Europe, and the Americas, leveraging the region's connectivity to expand their global reach. This geographical advantage, coupled with the region's vibrant business environment and supportive regulatory framework, has made Southeast Asia an attractive destination for businesses looking to establish a presence in the region.-State-of-the-Art Facility Offering the Latest Treatments and a Wide Range of Services Inaugurated by Former Union Cabinet Minister Smriti Zubin Irani November 25 , 2024, Ajman : Former Union Cabinet Minister of India, Smriti Zubin Irani, visited Thumbay University Hospital at Thumbay Medicity in Al Jurf (Ajman) and inaugurated the Thumbay Institute of Aesthetics (TIA). The ceremony was hosted by Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder President of Thumbay Group, and attended by Mr. Akbar Moideen Thumbay, Vice President of the Healthcare Division of Thumbay Group. During her visit, Smriti Zubin Irani toured Thumbay University Hospital, where she experienced firsthand the innovative advancements in medical education, healthcare, and research that establish Thumbay Group as a leader in these fields. She also had the opportunity to explore the Thumbay Institute of Aesthetics, where state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technology are employed to offer personalized aesthetic treatments. From advanced dermatology to rejuvenating cosmetic enhancements, the institute combines medical expertise with the latest technology, providing patients with a comprehensive and luxurious approach to aesthetics in a patient-centered environment. Speaking at the inauguration of the Thumbay Institute of Aesthetics, Smriti Zubin Irani expressed her admiration for Thumbay Group’s significant contributions to the healthcare sector in the UAE and beyond. She said, “I am impressed by the visionary approach of Dr. Thumbay Moideen and the commitment to excellence in both medical education and healthcare services. Thumbay Group’s facilities are truly state-of-the-art, and I am confident that the Thumbay Institute of Aesthetics will become a symbol for world-class aesthetic treatments, setting new benchmarks in the region.” Thumbay Institute of Aesthetics (TIA) is a premier destination for advanced aesthetic and dermatological care, where beauty meets cutting-edge medical science. As part of the renowned Thumbay Healthcare, the largest network of academic hospital in the region, TIA offers world-class treatments in a luxurious, patient-centered environment. With a focus on personalized care, TIA combines clinical expertise with state-of-the-art technology to deliver exceptional results. Committed to quality, safety, and innovation, TIA strives to redefine the standards of cosmetic care, making it the trusted choice for those seeking aesthetic excellence in the UAE and beyond. Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder President of Thumbay Group, expressed his heartfelt gratitude for her visit, saying, “We are deeply honored and thankful for the presence of Smriti Irani at the inauguration of the Thumbay Institute of Aesthetics. Her visit adds immense significance to this special occasion. We are grateful for her support as we continue to expand our offerings and enhance our commitment to excellence. Her encouragement and recognition of our vision further inspire us as we work towards setting new benchmarks in medical education and healthcare delivery in the region.” Meanwhile, Akbar Moideen Thumbay, Vice President of Thumbay Healthcare, emphasized, “The aesthetic beauty treatment market in Dubai is characterized by robust growth driven by several factors. The city’s cosmopolitan population, comprising both residents and tourists, exhibits a growing demand for cosmetic enhancements and anti-aging solutions. Moreover, Dubai’s reputation as a global fashion and lifestyle destination fuels the desire for aesthetic perfection among its inhabitants...The Thumbay Institute of Aesthetics is designed to be a center of excellence in the region. With our commitment to innovation, quality, and patient safety, we aim to redefine the standards of aesthetic care and provide our patients with exceptional experiences that enhance their confidence and well-being.” Related
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Zelensky insists on a 'just peace' at Trump Paris meetingIn response to the escalating situation, the Greenland Group took immediate action by filing a formal complaint with the authorities and launching an internal investigation to ascertain the truth behind the allegations. The company's spokesperson vehemently denied the accusations, stating that the Chairman has no involvement in any inappropriate behavior or activities as depicted in the circulated photos.
The recent encounter of Lin Jing'en begging for food was a shock to many, especially considering her past fame and fortune. The rejection she faced at the door only added to the tragedy of her situation. Witnesses described her eyes as peculiar, with a strange intensity that sent shivers down their spines.The UK holiday destination with great family attractions for all types of British weatherMumbai city first, suburbs second in Maha govt’s ‘Good governance’ reportTributes were paid to the former Scottish first minister, who died suddenly in North Macedonia in October at the age of 69. A private family funeral has already taken place, with Saturday’s memorial service in Edinburgh held to celebrate his love of Scotland and his commitment to the cause of independence. But while some 500 people, including family, friends and politicians from across the spectrum attended the service at St Giles’ Cathedral, his successor Nicola Sturgeon was not present. A rift between her and Mr Salmond – who she had previously described as her mentor – developed during her term as SNP leader. Ms Sturgeon attended the funeral of Scottish comedian Janey Godley in Glasgow on Saturday morning. Her successor, Mr Swinney, was met with boos as he arrived at the service – held on St Andrew’s Day – with at least one person in the crowd outside on the Royal Mile shouting “traitor”. Mr Salmond stood down as SNP leader and first minister after the 2014 referendum in which Scots voted to stay part of the UK. He helped found and went on to lead another pro-independence party, Alba, with Kenny MacAskill, a long-time friend who served as justice secretary in Holyrood under Mr Salmond. Mr MacAskill, now the acting Alba leader, told the congregation – which included Mr Salmond’s widow Moira as well as Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, former Labour first minister Henry McLeish and Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay – that Mr Salmond had been a “giant of man”. Mr MacAskill, who quit the SNP to join Alba, hailed Mr Salmond as “an inspiration, a political genius” and being “most of all a man who had the cause of independence burned into his heart and seared in his soul”. The cause of independence was Mr Salmond’s “guiding light, his north star”, the former justice secretary said, adding that “he came so close to achieving it”. He added: “Those of us who share his dream must conclude that journey on his behalf. That’s the legacy he’d expect and the duty we owe him.” Recalling Mr Salmond’s words from when he stood down as first minister that “the dream shall never die”, Mr MacAskill concluded his address with the words: “Your dream shall be delivered.” Former Conservative Brexit minister and long-time friend of Mr Salmond, David Davis, gave a reading as did former Scottish government minister SNP MSP Fergus Ewing. Scottish folk singer Dougie MacLean performed his famous song Caledonia, while singer Sheena Wellington led mourners in a rendition of Robert Burns’ classic A Man’s A Man For A’ That. Scottish rock duo the Proclaimers were applauded for their performance of Cap in Hand – a pro-independence song which features the line “I can’t understand why we let someone else rule our land, cap in hand”. Brothers Craig and Charlie Reid said: “We’re going to do this for Alex, with love and respect and eternal gratitude for everything you did for our country.” Christina Hendry described her Uncle Alex as a “political giant, a strong leader, a fearless campaigner” but also remembered his as a “dearly loved husband, brother and uncle”. While she said he had been “the top man in Scotland”, he had “always made time for his family”, recalling how he phoned her brother on his birthday – the day after the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 – to apologise for not posting a card “as he’d been busy”, before telling them he would “resigning in 10 minutes”. She told the congregation: “As his family, we always felt loved no matter how far away he was or the time that passed before we saw him next. “We always knew he was standing up for our country, and for that we were grateful.” Ms Hendry continued: “The world will be a much quieter place without Uncle Alex, for Moira, for the wider family and for Scotland. “Uncle Alex passing means a great loss for many. A loss of Scotland’s voice on the international stage. A loss of integrity in Scottish politics. And a great loss to Scotland’s independence movement. “As a family it is likely a loss we will never get over.” Duncan Hamilton KC, who was an SNP MSP after the first Scottish Parliament elections, but also served as a political adviser and legal counsel to Mr Salmond, said the former first minister had “rightly been hailed as one of the greatest Scottish politicians of this, or any, generation”. He told how Mr Salmond took the SNP from being “a fringe act trying to get onto the main stage” to a party of government. “In Scottish politics, his success was both spectacular and unrivalled,” Mr Hamilton said. “Alex Salmond will forever be a pivotal figure in Scotland’s story. He changed a nation. He inspired a country. “History will certainly remember him as a man of talent, charisma and substance. But also as a political leader of courage, vision and intelligence. “He dared to dream. And so should we.” As the service finished the crowd gathered outside applauded and chanted “Alex, Alex” before singing Flower Of Scotland.
Undefeated Oregon and No. 23 Texas A&M will collide Tuesday afternoon in Las Vegas in the second game of the new Players Era Festival. Both teams are in the "Power" group of the eight-team event. All eight teams are receiving $1 million for their name, image and likeness (NIL) collectives, but placing fourth or higher in the tourney in order will net them anywhere from $1.1 million to $1.5 million. The Aggies (4-1) opened the season with a three-point loss at UCF, but since then have won four straight, all in convincing fashion. Texas A&M upset then-No. 21 Ohio State 78-64 on Nov. 15 at home in College Station, Texas. Then the Aggies crushed Southern 71-54 last Wednesday, when Wade Taylor IV led the way with 17 points and six assists. All of Texas A&M's wins have been by double digits. The Aggies and Ducks (5-0) have split the two previous meetings against each other. Until March 2022 in an NIT second-round game, they had not met since the 1970-71 season. Texas A&M tied the overall series with a 75-60 win at home in 2022. The only player on the Ducks' current roster who played in that game was 7-foot senior Nate Bittle, who has been one of Oregon's best players so far this season. Bittle's 16.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game lead the Ducks so far this season, and the big man also averages two blocked shots per game. Texas A&M guard Zhuric Phelps, a transfer from SMU, leads the Aggies in scoring at 16 points per game. Taylor adds 14 points per game. The Aggies could be the best defensive team the Ducks will have seen this season. A&M is allowing teams to shoot only 36.6 percent in games. Head coach Buzz Williams and his staff are hoping the team gets better at taking charges on defense, as the Aggies have just one so far this season. "I guess the thing that you work on most is verticality around the rim," Texas A&M assistant coach Steve Roccaforte told KBTX television. "‘Hey, once you get there, if you try and take a charge, it's going to be a block. Just jump as high as you can, stay vertical, try to go chest-to-chest. Make it a hard shot.'" Oregon is coming off a 78-75 win at Oregon State, the Ducks' first road game of the season. The Ducks trailed by 10 points at halftime but, as they have in several games this season, they found a rhythm on offense in the second half and came up with a comeback win. Bittle's 23 points and 14 rebounds led the way. Jackson Shelstad had 15 points and Jadrian Tracey and Keeshawn Barthelemy both added 10. "We started rebounding the ball a little better. Nate really got it going inside and our guys got him the ball," Oregon head coach Dana Altman told the school's athletics website. "He had a heck of a game." --Field Level Media
Tributes were paid to the former Scottish first minister, who died suddenly in North Macedonia in October at the age of 69. A private family funeral has already taken place, with Saturday’s memorial service in Edinburgh held to celebrate his love of Scotland and his commitment to the cause of independence. But while some 500 people, including family, friends and politicians from across the spectrum attended the service at St Giles’ Cathedral, his successor Nicola Sturgeon was not present. A rift between her and Mr Salmond – who she had previously described as her mentor – developed during her term as SNP leader. Ms Sturgeon attended the funeral of Scottish comedian Janey Godley in Glasgow on Saturday morning. Her successor, Mr Swinney, was met with boos as he arrived at the service – held on St Andrew’s Day – with at least one person in the crowd outside on the Royal Mile shouting “traitor”. Mr Salmond stood down as SNP leader and first minister after the 2014 referendum in which Scots voted to stay part of the UK. He helped found and went on to lead another pro-independence party, Alba, with Kenny MacAskill, a long-time friend who served as justice secretary in Holyrood under Mr Salmond. Mr MacAskill, now the acting Alba leader, told the congregation – which included Mr Salmond’s widow Moira as well as Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, former Labour first minister Henry McLeish and Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay – that Mr Salmond had been a “giant of man”. Mr MacAskill, who quit the SNP to join Alba, hailed Mr Salmond as “an inspiration, a political genius” and being “most of all a man who had the cause of independence burned into his heart and seared in his soul”. The cause of independence was Mr Salmond’s “guiding light, his north star”, the former justice secretary said, adding that “he came so close to achieving it”. He added: “Those of us who share his dream must conclude that journey on his behalf. That’s the legacy he’d expect and the duty we owe him.” Recalling Mr Salmond’s words from when he stood down as first minister that “the dream shall never die”, Mr MacAskill concluded his address with the words: “Your dream shall be delivered.” Former Conservative Brexit minister and long-time friend of Mr Salmond, David Davis, gave a reading as did former Scottish government minister SNP MSP Fergus Ewing. Scottish folk singer Dougie MacLean performed his famous song Caledonia, while singer Sheena Wellington led mourners in a rendition of Robert Burns’ classic A Man’s A Man For A’ That. Scottish rock duo the Proclaimers were applauded for their performance of Cap in Hand – a pro-independence song which features the line “I can’t understand why we let someone else rule our land, cap in hand”. Brothers Craig and Charlie Reid said: “We’re going to do this for Alex, with love and respect and eternal gratitude for everything you did for our country.” Christina Hendry described her Uncle Alex as a “political giant, a strong leader, a fearless campaigner” but also remembered his as a “dearly loved husband, brother and uncle”. While she said he had been “the top man in Scotland”, he had “always made time for his family”, recalling how he phoned her brother on his birthday – the day after the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 – to apologise for not posting a card “as he’d been busy”, before telling them he would “resigning in 10 minutes”. She told the congregation: “As his family, we always felt loved no matter how far away he was or the time that passed before we saw him next. “We always knew he was standing up for our country, and for that we were grateful.” Ms Hendry continued: “The world will be a much quieter place without Uncle Alex, for Moira, for the wider family and for Scotland. “Uncle Alex passing means a great loss for many. A loss of Scotland’s voice on the international stage. A loss of integrity in Scottish politics. And a great loss to Scotland’s independence movement. “As a family it is likely a loss we will never get over.” Duncan Hamilton KC, who was an SNP MSP after the first Scottish Parliament elections, but also served as a political adviser and legal counsel to Mr Salmond, said the former first minister had “rightly been hailed as one of the greatest Scottish politicians of this, or any, generation”. He told how Mr Salmond took the SNP from being “a fringe act trying to get onto the main stage” to a party of government. “In Scottish politics, his success was both spectacular and unrivalled,” Mr Hamilton said. “Alex Salmond will forever be a pivotal figure in Scotland’s story. He changed a nation. He inspired a country. “History will certainly remember him as a man of talent, charisma and substance. But also as a political leader of courage, vision and intelligence. “He dared to dream. And so should we.” As the service finished the crowd gathered outside applauded and chanted “Alex, Alex” before singing Flower Of Scotland.