Archive
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Emergency legislation to release short-term prisoners early passes at Holyrood
A BILL reducing the automatic release point for short-term prisoners has been passed by MSPs. The Prisoners (Early Release) (Scotland) Bill is expected to see the release of between 260 and 390 prisoners by reducing the automatic release point
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Chaos as train services from major Scottish city cancelled after chemical spill
TRAIN services from a major Scottish city have been disrupted by a chemical spill. ScotRail services between Perth and Inverness and also between Aberdeen, Inverurie, Elgin and Inverness were cancelled after 7pm on Tuesday. The rail operator
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Immersive Vincent Van Gogh exhibition set to come to Scottish city
AN IMMERSIVE attraction which brings the works of Vincent Van Gogh spectacularly to life is set to come to Aberdeen. Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience will be staged at the port city’s P&J Live event complex for one month only from
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Benjamin Netanyahu is resorting to the excuse favoured by bullies
I OCCASIONALLY take a trip across the 24-hour news rooms on the internet for a different view of world affairs than just a Scottish view. France 24 ran an interesting interview with an Israeli journalist commenting on Netanyahu’s most recent “state
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Petition tapped into people’s anger but it will make no difference
KEIR Starmer has dismissed a petition to the UK Government and Parliament calling for a General Election that has attracted more than two million signatures, saying, “That’s not how our system works.” He’s right. The people don’t matter. Starmer
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Welfare for the wealthy is the true scandal of ‘Benefit Britain’
OVER the past two years, £186.4 billion of public money has been paid to the wealthiest in society via interest on government gilts. All of this money is unearned. No-one is working for it. It is only paid to people who have enough spare cash
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Benjamin Netanyahu agrees to ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon
BENJAMIN Netanyahu has said he has agreed a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon. It comes after weeks of negotiations with the US and other Western allies, with the Israeli prime minister confirming he would now present the deal to his cabinet
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Supreme Court hears first day of gender-critical action on definition of a woman
JUDGES at the UK Supreme Court considered how women are defined in law in a landmark case brought about by Scottish campaigners today. A lawyer acting on behalf of gender-critical campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS) called on the court to
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Police Scotland staff harassed by colleagues and public, poll finds
ONE in five Police Scotland officers say they have personally experienced harassment, bullying or discrimination from colleagues in the past 12 months, a new survey has found, with still more reporting abuse from the public. The figures come from
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Glasgow Uni rector pans bosses' refusal to end Israel-linked arms investments
THE rector of the University of Glasgow has warned the institution that it is “complicit in the crimes of this century” after management refused to divest from arms firms linked to Israel. The Scottish institution’s ruling court drew anger from
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New Stirling city wall discoveries to be unveiled at archaeology conference
NEW Scottish archaeological discoveries are set to be unveiled at a conference in Stirling this weekend. Stirling Rocks – The City That Defined Scotland – is set to take place in the Church of the Holy Rude on November 30 with tickets still available
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American robotics firm to bring dozens of jobs with launch of Edinburgh hub
AN AMERICAN robotics firm has opened a new research and development hub in Edinburgh. Launchpad Build will employ a team of 24 and is looking to drive the development of its proprietary robotics technology, Digitool, which is "simplifying automation
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Time ticking out on one of our best subscription offers ever: £10 for one year
TIME is running out to take advantage of one of the best offers The National has ever run – £10 for an entire year of full access to our online coverage. As the cost of just about everything else continues to climb, we at The National have slashed
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Sir Rod Stewart shows fans inside Celtic-themed room in plush mansion
Sir Rod Stewart has jokingly asked fans what football team he supports after showing them inside a Celtic-themed room in his plush mansion. The Hoops-daft crooner shared a photo to his 1.4 million Instagram followers showcasing the gym in his
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Scottish Water launches £9 billion programme that 'could create 4000 jobs'
SCOTTISH Water has launched an enormous £9 billion procurement programme that could bring 4000 jobs to Scotland. Firms are being invited to bid to be involved in the new enterprise-style approach to enhancing Scotland’s water and waste water infrastructure
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New CalMac ferry 'still needing anchor system repair'
THE long-awaited Glen Sannox ferry still needs a permanent solution to a problem with its anchor system, with managers at the Ferguson Marine shipyard saying it is “very disappointing” the issue was not spotted earlier. The ferry was handed over
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Bid to force the SNP to ditch their key policy is hardly democratic
I SEE the current leader of the Scottish Lib-UnDems is at it again. He’ll support the SNP Scottish Government’s budget as long as not a single penny is spent on the constitution or independence. Despite the fact that the SNP clearly won the last Scottish
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Labour minister investigated by Commons watchdog for third time in three years
HOME Office minister Jess Phillips has been placed under investigation by Parliament’s standards watchdog for failing to register an interest on time. It is the third time in almost three years that the Birmingham Yardley MP has been investigated
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Seabird numbers plummeting in Scotland and wider UK, new report shows
SOME of Scotland's most famous seabirds have seen severe falls in population numbers, a new report has shown. Puffins, one of the UK's most popular birds, have seen a 24 per cent population decrease in 14 years – while other species saw even greater
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We cannot deny the surge of reactionary right-wing populism in the UK
THE British state is in a bit of a state these days. It has been for longer than I care to remember. So maybe Labour’s unspoken but implied message of “we’re not the Tories” has worked for them, in the short-term: short enough to win the recent election
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Domestic violence reports up in Scotland by 25 per cent in past year
REPORTS to police of instances of domestic violence have increased by 25% in the past year, figures show, despite a slight drop in overall violent crime. Statistics released by the Scottish Government show a jump from 1845 reports under the Domestic
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Stephen Flynn calls out Labour Minister live on BBC for 'going after the poorest'
STEPHEN Flynn called out a Labour Minister live on the BBC, suggesting she was supporting a Conservative-inspired policy that “goes after the poorest in society”. The SNP Westminster leader’s comments came during Tuesday’s broadcast of Politics
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Anas Sarwar says he isn't 'playing politics' with Winter Fuel Payment U-turn
ANAS Sarwar has insisted he isn’t “playing politics” over the Winter Fuel Payment despite urging the Scottish Government to bring it back in full after his party voted to cut it. Scottish Labour confirmed on Monday they would be forcing a vote
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Specialist emergency crews race to 'chemical smell' at Glasgow building
SPECIALIST emergency crews raced to a tenement building in Glasgow due to a "chemical smell" yesterday (November 25). The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) were alerted to reports of a chemical smell coming from a building on High Street
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Labour promise 'Jobcentre in your pocket' to slash benefits bill
LABOUR aim to put a “Jobcentre in your pocket” as part of a raft of reforms aimed at slashing the benefits bill. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall unveiled a new white paper on reforms to the benefits system on Tuesday, saying that Labour
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Does the Queensferry Crossing have a problem with closures?
CLAIM: “Rambling Fiona Hyslop gives 'no answers' on Queensferry Crossing closure” - Daily Express headline, 24 November 2024 DOORSTEP ANSWER: Traffic flow across the Forth was disrupted for all of 20 minutes, because safety concerns about ice accumulating
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Kate Forbes to take on new role as Scotland's 'investment champion'
KATE Forbes is to take on a new role as Scotland’s “investment champion,” the Scottish Government has announced. The Deputy First Minister will take on the role to deliver a pipeline of investment opportunities and to build relationships with investors
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Scottish rent prices surge by 10 per cent in 12 months amid 'housing emergency'
THE average rent for a one-bedroom property in Scotland "skyrocketed" by 10 per cent in the last year, new figures have shown. Across the whole of Scotland, one-bedroom properties increased by 9.6 per cent in 12 months, while two-bedroom places
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'Wrong' to discuss sanctions on 'extremist' Israeli ministers, David Lammy says
THE Foreign Secretary has said it was “wrong” for his Tory predecessor to talk about imposing sanctions on “extremist” Israeli ministers. David Lammy refused to be drawn on whether he would introduce sanctions on members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s
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'Pathetic': David Lammy mocks SNP over 'British passports' in Commons clash
THE Foreign Secretary mocked the SNP over “British passports” after being challenged on what the UK Government is doing to help its citizens who are arbitrarily detained abroad. SNP MP Brendan O’Hara and Chris Law were visibly irked by the response
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National Insurance increase may lead to closure of some GP practices
IN the recent post-Budget debate, news coverage has mainly focused on the threat to small businesses from the huge increase in employer National Insurance contributions and to family farms by the punitive inheritance tax changes. However, much
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Increase in homeless deaths linked to drugs last year, latest figures show
"DEVASTATING" new figures have shown a rise in the number of homeless Scots dying as a result of drugs, with 100 such deaths estimated to have occurred in 2023. National Records of Scotland (NRS) said the total was up from 89 in 2022, with its
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Spending watchdog disclaims UK government accounts for first time ever
THE UK’s spending watchdog has disclaimed the UK Government accounts for the first time ever. In an exceptional statement, the National Audit Office (NAO) said on Tuesday that it could not approve the Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) 2022-23.
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Inverclyde's SNP councillors call for Stephen McCabe to be referred to watchdog
INVERCLYDE Council’s SNP group has called for the local authority’s domestic assault-accused former leader to be referred to a standards watchdog after it emerged he is the tenant of a Labour peer, who was recently appointed to an influential area
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Majority of people support arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu, poll finds
THE majority of people in the UK say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested if he steps foot on British soil, a poll has shown. A Find Out Now poll conducted on November 22 found 42% of people want to see him arrested after
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David Lammy insists UK not sending troops to Ukraine despite reports
THE Foreign Secretary has said the UK is not sending troops into Ukraine, after a news report suggested that Britain and France are discussing the option. Tensions between Russia and the West have significantly escalated in recent days after US
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'I'm more than able': Glastonbury Legends slot to be headlined by Rod Stewart
SIR Rod Stewart will play the Glastonbury Legends slot in 2025, it has been announced. The rock and roll legend has been announced to perform at the Legends slot on the festival's final day. Stewart is a member of the US Rock & Roll Hall of
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Scots are crying out for change to status quo – and Reform look set to benefit
WITH numerous councillors being elected as MPs, getting other jobs, or in one bizarre case of a Liberal Democrat in Edinburgh earlier this month, putting her house up for sale the day after being elected, it truly is by-election season in Scotland
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Alba set out terms for supporting Scottish Budget
THE Alba Party have said the introduction of universal free school meals will be part of their terms for supporting the Scottish Budget. The party’s sole MSP and Holyrood leader Ash Regan has intimated she is ready “to help the Scottish Government
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Israeli minister calls for 'voluntary migration' to 'halve Gaza's population'
AN Israeli minister has called for the country to promote “voluntary migration” in a bid to make Palestinians leave Gaza. Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said the country “can and must occupy the Gaza strip” and that “we don’t need to
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Sky News host Kay Burley fumes after Elon Musk weighs in on General Election petition
SKY News host Kay Burley has said Elon Musk needs to “butt out” after weighing in on a petition calling for a General Election. Created by Michael Westwood on October 31 – just one day after the Budget was delivered – the petition has now gathered
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Surge in concerns about children experiencing domestic abuse
The NSPCC is urging children to speak to its Childline service with any concerns this Christmas following a surge in contacts to the charity about children experiencing domestic abuse. Almost 4,000 adults contacted the NSPCC Helpline with concerns
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'Iconic' historic building in Perthshire dating back to 13th century up for sale
A FORMER school in Perthshire described as a “unique investment prospect” has been put up for sale. Kilgraston House, located within “beautifully landscaped” grounds, dates back to the 13th century. It was originally designed by Francis Grant
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Scottish city named as best for foreign investment outside London
EDINBURGH has been named as the highest-ranking city in the UK outside of London for foreign direct investment (FDI) attractiveness, according to a new survey. The capital moved up two places in a new table from sixth to fourth, behind only inner
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New musical featuring sons of huge Scottish band to open in Glasgow
A BRAND new musical featuring the hit songs of the Bay City Rollers is set to open in Glasgow. The production, Rollers Forever, will open at the Pavilion Theatre from August 18 to 23, 2025, with tickets going on sale from November 29, 2024, at
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Doddie Weir foundation hits major funding milestone for MND research
A CHARITY founded by the late former Scotland rugby star Doddie Weir has raised more than £18 million for motor neurone disease research. Weir was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) – a rare, progressive condition that damages the nervous
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Ian Murray to spend St Andrew's Day in Singapore in foreign trade trip
SCOTTISH Secretary Ian Murray has set off on a trip to south east Asia to launch “Brand Scotland”. He will visit Malaysia then spend St Andrew’s Day in Singapore to promote Scottish products – despite claims by his critics at home Labour are hammering
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Shona Craven: Should Holyrood and Westminster move towards assisted dying together?
YOU have to feel a bit sorry for the new intake of MPs, who perhaps imagined they would have more than six months in their roles before being required to vote on an issue as contentious as assisted dying. If they weren’t aware of the shortcomings
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Dalriada of the Scoti: The ancient kingdoms where Scotland began
THIS nation will pay tribute to Alex Salmond at a memorial service in St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh on Saturday, which is also St Andrew’s Day. I am sure it will be appropriately fulsome and will acknowledge the great contribution that he made to Scotland
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Jonathon Shafi: Keir Starmer is on a legally weak platform over the ICC warrants
IN these unpredictable, volatile times, you can always count on US senator Lindsey Graham to be consistently beyond the pale. That said, the response from this drum-beating war hawk to the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing an arrest warrant
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Sacred island to receive ultrafast broadband in Scottish Government initiative
ENGINEERS are starting work to give the historic island of Iona an ultrafast broadband tech boost through a Scottish Government initiative. A mile off the bigger Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides, Iona is one of the most significant Christian
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Commission 'very concerned' for basic human rights in Highlands and Islands
THE Scottish Human Rights Commission is "very concerned" about the "poor state of economic, social and cultural rights" across the country's Highlands and Islands. The Commission has uncovered severe challenges for Highland and Island residents
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Organisations call for progressive tax reform in Scotland
A NEW campaign is demanding Scotland’s political leaders take “bold action” on tax reform – insisting that simply “tweaking” the existing system risks “failing our communities”. More than 50 organisations and individuals, including charities, trade
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Kate Forbes: Labour National Insurance hike will dent economic growth
LABOUR have failed "a question of basic competence" by bringing in a hike to employers' National Insurance contributions (NICs), Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has said. Forbes has warned the move risks harming economic growth, highlighting
