Archive

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The Scottish restaurants named the best in Britain at prestigious food award

RESTAURANTS across Scotland have been named among the best in the UK by a prestigious national food award. The Good Food Guide assessed eateries across the country to determine the best local joints in several British nations and regions. Including

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13-year-old rushed to hospital after being hit by car on busy street

A TEENAGER has been rushed to hospital after being hit by a car on a busy street in Glasgow. Emergency services were called to Nitshill Road, Glasgow, after a report of a 13-year-old girl being struck by a vehicle at around 6.10pm on Tuesday evening

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Keir Starmer ejects seven Labour MPs for voting to scrap two-child cap

LABOUR have suspended a number of MPs just weeks after the General Election for voting against the Government – for backing calls to scrap the two-child benefit cap limit. Seven MPs in total, including former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, have

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Keir Starmer wins two-child cap battle – but vote points to war for Labour's soul

KEIR Starmer appeared to easily see off the first backbench rebellion of his premiership as Labour voted to keep two-child benefit cap. But was the result all it seemed? Labour MPs have been fairly open – even if they were not one of the seven

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Here's how the 37 Scottish Labour MPs voted on two-child benefit cap

LABOUR have voted to keep the two-child benefit cap as the party reverses its opposition to the policy despite growing pressure for them to scrap it. Keir Starmer’s party voted down the SNP’s amendment to the King’s Speech calling for the policy

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Labour vote to KEEP two-child benefit cap as SNP calls batted away

LABOUR have voted to keep the two-child benefit cap in an extraordinary demonstration of the party’s reversal of its opposition to the policy. Keir Starmer’s party voted down the SNP’s amendment to the King’s Speech calling for the policy to be

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Wee Ginger Dug: Anas Sarwar notably quiet on two-child benefit cap as debate rolls on

THIS week, the abhorrent two-child cap on benefits is back in the news due to efforts in the House of Commons by the SNP and other MPs to the left of the Labour Party to force a vote on the issue. When asked whether the cap should be abolished

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Scotland could once again have its own team competing at the Olympics

WITH the Olympics fast approaching I thought readers might be interested to know that Scotland has previously competed in its own right at the 1908 Olympics (in hockey) and the 1912 Olympics (in cycling), and even won a bronze medal in 1908. READ

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Kairin Van Sweeden: What's the point of pension funds?

SO our new Chancellor wants to raid our pension funds it would seem because, in her view: "This is money that could go towards building vital infrastructure, supporting small businesses and helping to put more back into our towns and cities."

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Anonymous buyer of £25 million Scottish estate hidden by legal loophole

THE new owners of a £25 million Scottish castle estate have hidden their identity through a legal loophole. The Times reported that the purchaser of Dunbeath Castle, which is on the North Coast 500 (NC500) route south east of Wick, had remained

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Alba urge SNP to scrap two-child cap in Scotland using Holyrood budget

THE SNP are facing demands to “set an example” for Labour and use Holyrood’s budget to axe the two-child benefit cap north of the Border. While the party has called for it to be scrapped in Westminster, it has so far resisted calls to use the powers

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More than 75 Scots join sexual abuse legal action against McDonald's

DOZENS of Scottish workers have joined a group legal action against McDonald's for sexual abuse, harassment and bullying, The National can reveal. Law firm Leigh Day is launching a group legal action on behalf of employees across the UK who have

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Historic 18th century hotel where Robert Burns etched poem into glass put on sale

A HOTEL built in the late 1700s which the iconic poet Robert Burns etched a poem into one of the windows has been put up for sale. The Golden Lion in Stirling, which had a verse from “Stirling Lines” engraved in one of its glass panes by the famous

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Plans for holiday cabin complex in Scottish national park rejected by government

AN application to build self-catering holiday cottages in a Scottish national park has been rejected by a government official. Proposals to build seven self-catering cabins, a toilet and shower block, and a manager’s house near Speybridge in the

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Man arrested and charged over death of 81-year-old pedestrian

A MAN has been arrested and charged after the death of an 81-year-old pensioner in an alleged hit and run collision. The crash happened at about 7.15pm on July 12, on Bathgate Road, Blackburn, Midlothian. William Brown, 81, known as Bill, was

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Scottish Labour MP says 'contact your MSP' in copy-and-paste two-child cap email

A SCOTTISH Labour MP has urged his constituents to contact their MSPs instead of him in a copy-and-paste response to their calls to end the two-child benefit cap. Labour backbencher Gordon McKee, the new MP for Glasgow South, also blamed the Tories

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John Swinney warns finances under ‘significant pressure’ as bin strike threat looms

JOHN Swinney said the Scottish Government has to “live in the reality of the resources we’ve got available to us” as he declined to commit to making more money available to avert the impending strikes by waste and recycling workers across Scotland.

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Stena Line issues statement after death at Scottish port

FERRY provider Stena Line has issued an update after a member of port staff died following an accident at a Scottish dock. Emergency services scrambled to Cairnryan in south-west Scotland on Tuesday morning after a report of a 60-year-old man who

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Flight forced to make emergency landing at Scottish airport

A flight from the Shetland Islands was forced to make an emergency landing due to an issue. LoganAir's flight LM346 was diverted to Aberdeen International Airport amid a technical problem. The aircraft - which was bound for Glasgow Airport

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Top 10 cheapest areas to rent in Scotland revealed

THE cheapest areas to rent in Scotland have been revealed. The report by BLG Development Finance and Online Marketing Surgery ranks areas in Scotland based on their average rent price so far this year. According to the most recent figures from

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Targeted strikes could starve the Russian front line of ammunition

ARE strikes on Russian targets a risk too far? Iain R Thomson raised this question in Monday’s National. First, it must be noted that the Russians are under no constraint and are daily attacking deep within Ukraine, killing civilians and destroying

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SNP MP with perfect dig at 'sad lonely figure' Nigel Farage in Commons speech

(Image: NQ) AN SNP MP had the perfect response to a comment from Nigel Farage during his maiden speech at Westminster. The Reform UK leader and new MP for Clacton used his time during the King’s Speech debate to rail against immigration. At

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Campaign group organises rally to save jobs at Grangemouth oil refinery

A CAMPAIGN group working to keep Grangemouth oil refinery open has organised a march, calling on “anyone who believes in a fair and just transition for workers” to attend. The Keep Grangemouth Working campaign has organised a “March for Jobs” on

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Kate Forbes in talks to save Scottish shipyards as UK Government rejects loan

KATE Forbes has been in talks with the UK Government after it refused to back a shipbuilder with two Scottish yards, putting hundreds of jobs at risk. Belfast-based shipbuilder Harland and Wolff, which infamously built the Titanic, has two yards

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Scottish dad drowns at Florida theme park in 'heartbreaking' accident

A SCOTTISH dad drowned at a Florida waterpark leaving his family heartbroken. Doug Reid, from Aberdeenshire, was visiting Orlando's Discovery Cove water park with his wife and son when tragedy struck. Resort staff found the 51-year-old motionless

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The Labour MPs who have spoken out against the two-child benefit cap

KEIR Starmer faces his first threat of rebellion in the Commons today over calls to scrap the two-child benefit cap. The Prime Minister previously ruled out axing the policy, which limits the amount of benefits people can claim if they have more

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‘Milestone for women’s rights’ as abortion buffer zones law gets Royal Assent

LEGISLATION that creates buffer zones around clinics where abortions are carried out has received Royal Assent – with the MSP who spearheaded the new law hailing the moment as a “key milestone for women’s rights”. Holyrood overwhelmingly backed

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'High risk' of polio outbreak in Gaza as Israel begins vaccinating soldiers

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has said there is a “high risk” of a polio outbreak in Gaza. Traces of polio were found in sewage samples collected from two different sites in Gaza last month, which suggests that the infection may be circulating

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BBC lost tens of thousands of Scottish licence fee payers, annual report shows

THE BBC lost around half a million licence fee payers year on year, according to its annual report. At the end of the 2023-24 financial year, there were 23.9 million TV licences in effect, a drop of 500,000 from the 24.4 million at the end of 2022

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Public will be encouraged NOT to travel after HS2 axed, new report finds

RISHI Sunak’s decision to curtail HS2 means the public may need to be incentivised not to travel by train, according to the UK’s public spending watchdog. The National Audit Office (NAO) said the then-prime minister’s announcement last October

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Smuggler who snuck £1m of cocaine across Border in secret compartment jailed

A DRUG smuggler who tried to sneak £1 million of cocaine over the Border has been jailed. Kurtis Taylor, originally from Liverpool, left England on September 5 last year in a black Vauxhall Vivaro with 10kg of the class-A drug in tow. However

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What is the two-child benefit cap and why is it controversial?

PRIME Minister Keir Starmer is facing his first rebellion since winning the General Election due to his support for the two-child benefit cap. An SNP amendment to the King’s Speech announcement, which will be voted on on Tuesday, asks MPs to “call

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Pressure on Labour as SNP two-child cap amendment picked for Westminster vote

LABOUR MPs have been urged to “do the right thing” by Stephen Flynn and support a Commons amendment to scrap the two-child benefit cap. The SNP Westminster leader urged Government backbenchers to rebel after Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle selected

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Bibby Stockholm barge to close as Labour overhaul asylum system

THE Bibby Stockholm barge is to stop housing asylum seekers from the end of January 2025, the Home Office has confirmed. Currently moored in Dorset, the barge was set up by the last Tory government as one of its attempts to cut hotel bills for

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Scottish region leads the UK in solar panel installation

A SCOTTISH region is leading the UK in solar panel installation. According to analysis of data from the UK certification body MSC by Independent Advisor, 17.4% of households in Stirling were found to have installed solar panels. It makes Stirling

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BBC director-general breaks silence on Strictly Come Dancing 'abuse' controversy

THE BBC director-general has issued an apology to Strictly Come Dancing contestants amid a storm of negative stories about the culture on the flagship programme. Tim Davie told journalists that there will inevitably be “competitiveness, hard work

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See which BBC presenters got the biggest pay cuts and pay rises this year

THE BBC'S annual report for 2023/2024 has been released, revealing which stars got pay rises and pay cuts. Notable on the list is former BBC presenter Huw Edwards, who went from fourth to third place on the list despite leaving the corporation

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BBC asks staff to take redundancy as it cuts 500 jobs and £200m from budget

THE BBC has launched a voluntary redundancy scheme as it looks to cut 500 jobs – and £200 million from its budget. The broadcaster’s chief operating adviser Leigh Tavaziva said it is making the changes to improve its premium video offering and

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Whisky industry ‘at risk’ as Scotland faces increasing droughts, report finds

THE whisky industry in Scotland is “at risk” from increased instances of drought due to climate change, according to new research. The James Hutton Institute, which led the research commissioned by Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW

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Protest launched against Scottish firm 'helping Russia finance Ukraine war'

ACTIVISTS are protesting outside the headquarters of a Scottish firm reportedly helping Vladimir Putin finance the war in Ukraine. The protest by the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign Scotland is outside the Glasgow HQ of giant LNG shipping multinational

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Man dies after falling into water at Scottish port

A 60-YEAR-OLD man has died after falling into the water at a Scottish port. Emergency services rushed to the scene after reports a man had fallen into the water next to a ship docked at Cairnryan at about 7.15am on Tuesday morning. Police Scotland

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Any indy strategy reliant on negotiations with Westminster will fail

TOMMY Sheppard is spot-on in his article in The National (Jul 22) when he says we need a brand new strategy for the road to independence, indeed the SNP leadership have needed this since Nicola Sturgeon’s legal strategy fell apart at the hands of the

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'Blessed to have NHS': Humza Yousaf praises staff as new-born baby needs treatment

HUMZA Yousaf has said he feels “blessed” to have the NHS after his new-born baby required care. Last week, the former first minister and wife Nadia El-Nakla announced the birth of their second child together: Liyana Jenin Yousaf. Yousaf said

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RECAP: Keir Starmer sees off tiny Labour rebellion to keep two-child cap

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'Aghast' Scottish Tory MSP slams 'smear stories' amid bitter leadership contest

A SCOTTISH Tory leadership frontrunner has said he is “aghast” at “smear stories” aimed at his rivals – and has issued a strong condemnation of the conduct in the contest to replace Douglas Ross. Ross, who was forced into an embarrassing resignation

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Edinburgh Tram workers set to be balloted on strike action

A UNION has confirmed that more than 100 Edinburgh Tram workers are to be balloted on strike action. Unite the union confirmed the ballot would open on July 29 and close on August 12 amid concerns over late running times to Edinburgh Airport, which

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Sacked LBC presenter breaks silence after Suella Braverman given guest spot

AN LBC host who lost her job following a tense interview with an Israeli spokesperson has hit out at the station after it announced Suella Braverman would be filling in as a guest host. Sangita Myska was removed from her presenting job back in

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Car crash interview sees Labour minister squirm over arms sales to Israel

A LABOUR minister has been slammed over a “nightmare” interview in which she failed to commit to overturn Tory secrecy on arms exports to Israel – despite the party committing to this in opposition. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall repeatedly

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DWP told to focus on work, not welfare, by Labour Work and Pensions Secretary

THE Department for Work and Pensions will be told it must become a “department for work”, rather than a “department for welfare”, by Labour today. In a speech in Barnsley, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall will lay out Labour’s ambitions

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John Swinney announces £41.7 million investment to decarbonise Scotland’s buses

JOHN Swinney has announced a £41.7 million investment to help deliver 252 new zero-emission buses to Scotland’s roads. The Scottish Government funding will help support eight operators led by electric vehicle fleet specialist Zenobē to deliver

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John Swinney leads tributes to Andy Murray as tennis star announces retirement

JOHN Swinney has said Andy Murray is Scotland’s “greatest ever sportsman” as the tennis star announced his retirement. The two-time Wimbledon champion took to Twitter/X on Tuesday morning to confirm the Paris Olympics would be his final tennis

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Criminal gang set up over £2.3 million cannabis empire in Scottish city

A CRIMINAL gang set up a cannabis empire worth over £2.3 million in a Scottish city. Police found cannabis farms with over 3000 plants in two derelict buildings in Dundee after a sequence of raids. Dundee Sheriff Court was told that three members

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Edinburgh Zoo named the second best family attraction in the UK by parents

EDINBURGH Zoo has been named the second-best family attraction in the UK after being ranked by parents. The list of family experiences featured places across the country, including Legoland in Windsor and Blackpool Pleasure Beach. The Edinburgh

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Full list of every Carpetright store set to close following administration

CARPETRIGHT has been bought in a rescue deal by rival Tapi but will shut more than 200 stores and cut more than 1000 jobs. It was announced on Monday that the flooring retailer Tapi had agreed to buy 54 Carpetright stores, two warehouses, the brand

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Police find body in search for missing 50-year-old woman from Ayrshire

POLICE have discovered the body of a woman during their search for a missing person from North Ayrshire. Although formal identification is yet to take place, the family of 50-year-old Nicola Pirrie has been made aware. She was found near Slate

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Scotland's best local restaurant crowned in prestigious new guide

THE Good Food Guide has announced its annual 100 best local restaurants across the UK with a number of Scottish names making the list. This year, the team behind the guide says it received an “astonishing” number of nominations from diners across

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Poll: Who should replace Douglas Ross as Scottish Tory leader?

ON Monday, Russell Findlay became the first Scottish Tory to throw his hat into the ring to replace Douglas Ross as his party’s leader. The exact timeline of the leadership contest is unclear although it is expected that more names will enter the

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'Astonishing' find uncovers proof of Bonnie Prince Charlie assassination attempt

HISTORIANS say they have uncovered evidence of an assassination attempt on Bonnie Prince Charlie as he slept in Bannockburn House. Prince Charles Edward Stuart took shelter in Bannockburn House in 1746, and it has been said that a shot was fired

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Shona Craven: CrowdStrike crash was a warning we must heed

IT’S easy to be wise after the fact, but if I’d been setting up a cybersecurity firm I don’t think I would have called it CrowdStrike. Of course I would never have imagined that it might end up wreaking havoc worldwide, literally striking down

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Hamish MacPherson: Mystery surrounds much of history of this ancient town

IN researching this series on the ancient towns of Scotland, I have been surprised to find that while many of them had foundations that can be traced as far back as the Iron Age, many had histories that were uncertain to say the least before the second

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Jonathon Shafi: Action to improve the state of our cities is long overdue

EVEN after a short break away from Glasgow, I always feel glad to be back. Life has its ups and downs but in the difficult times, I’ve never been alone in this city. Not just because it is where I can turn to friends, but because the architecture

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Ellie Gomersall: Pride movement must back Gaza just as it backed miners’ strikes

PRIDE is a protest. It’s about fighting for the rights of those marginalised because of who we are and who we love, and at a time when queer rights, and trans rights in particular, have been under attack, it continues to be of vital importance.

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'Landmark moment': Almost half of Scottish entrepreneurs last year were female

RESEARCHERS have hailed a “landmark moment” for Scotland after a study showed that women accounted for around half of all entrepreneurs last year. The global entrepreneurship monitor (GEM), an annual measure of entrepreneurship, found 8.6% of working-age