69 m. ago Unlike Tory 'fantasies', this Labour government will ignore 'party politics' to achieve prosperous North Sea

UK energy minister Michael Shanks addresses the issue of the North Sea’s future.

Politics

70 m. ago Cooper suggests asylum seekers could be moved into warehouses instead of hotels – UK politics live

Home secretary says government aims to ‘shrink the whole asylum system’ and is looking at ‘military and industrial sites’Lamb says the Greens are “the antidote to Reform”.That gets a big round of applause.We’re a home for all those people across the country holding their heads in their hands as the Labour government lets them down again and again and again, whether it is switching from the aid budget or from people with disabilities and not bringing in taxes we need.And that is why, in reaction, a new Green wave is sweeping the country as people turn to us.It’s already become a bit of a cliche, but we are really moving into a multi-party system, with the Greens poised to help create the next government.And, like all the best cliches, it has the distinct advantage of also being for true. Continue reading...

Society

84 m. ago Police and forensics comb Edinburgh street amid alleged 'stabbing'

A man and a woman were heard arguing in the street in the early hours.

Events

87 m. ago ‘A paradigm change’: black hole spotted that may have been created moments after big bang

Sighting by James Webb space telescope of black hole with sparse halo of material could upend theories of the universeAn ancient and “nearly naked” black hole that astronomers believe may have been created in the first fraction of a second after the big bang has been spotted by the James Webb space telescope.If confirmed as a so-called primordial black hole, a theoretical class of object predicted to exist by Stephen Hawking but never before seen, the discovery would upend prevailing theories of the universe. Continue reading...

Politics

92 m. ago How do I know my life has gone wrong? Because I spend all my time at the tip | Zoe Williams

I am there so often that the man who runs the recyclables aisle knows my name – and he is seriously unimpressed with my offeringsYou know a lot of things have gone wrong for you when the guy at the municipal dump knows your name. It basically means you’re bereaved or getting divorced – because if you’re just a regular, organised person who goes to the dump a lot, you’re in and out of there like a ghost.So anyway, I wouldn’t call it a friendship, between me and the guy in the recyclable items aisle; it’s more of a Tom and Jerry thing. I try to leave stuff where it might find a new home, and he tries to get me to put it in landfill. I say, “But sir, it’s a brand new commode, there are people who’d bite your hand off for one of these,” and he says, “Give it back to the NHS,” and I say, “Do you think I haven’t tried that?”. And he shakes his head, and I put it in landfill, but then wait until his back is turned and run back with three Zimmer frames. Continue reading...

Politics

92 m. ago Above the Knee review – man struggles with body integrity dysmorphia in gory amputation horror

A man grapples with an overwhelming desire to remove his leg in a lingering psychological interrogation from Norwegian film-maker Viljar BøeNorwegian director Viljar Bøe has been hacking out an interesting niche for himself in the horror genre, specialising in a variety grounded more in psychology than supernatural jiggery pokery. For example, Good Boy from 2022 revolved around a man and his “dog” (who is obviously a guy in a dog costume) acting like a mutt at all times. Similarly, his new feature features a character called Amir (Freddy Singh) with a psychological fixation that’s so unusual he feels he must keep it a secret from his girlfriend and all acquaintances: he has body integrity dysphoria (BID), which in his case means he has an overwhelming desire to amputate his left leg even though there’s nothing physically wrong with it.Amir lives with his super-nice, cheerful girlfriend Kim (Julie Abrahamsen) in hyper-tolerant, Scandi-socialist quasi-utopia Norway, so when he drunken...

Events

1 hour ago Scots could see Northern Lights again tonight after stunning displays yesterday

Scotland may be treated to another celestial display as the Met Office issues a rare alert for the aurora borealis.

Politics

1 hour ago New DWP update on PIP assessment changes for new and existing claimants

PIP assessments can be conducted in person, by video call or over the phone.

Politics

1 hour ago Northern Lights dazzles Scots skies as readers share stunning photos of rare phenomenon

From purple swirls above the fields of Orkney, to pinks and greens over Lossiemouth, Scotland got an eyeful

Culture

2 h. ago Exact date iconic high street retailer to close down Scottish branch this month

The high street stalwart is undergoing restructuring plans that will close down a total of 33 UK stores.

Politics

2 h. ago Labour's migrant deal fiasco: Now Yvette Cooper FAILS to guarantee asylum seekers will start being returned to France this month under 'one in, one out' agreement

Ministers claimed when the agreement was announced in July that it would take effect within weeks, but the Home Secretary now says she expects the deportations to begin 'later this month'.

Events

2 h. ago ‘Clearly the worst film ever made by anyone ever’: the story behind John Boorman’s horrific Exorcist sequel

After landmark flop The Heretic, the director was considering ‘immolating myself on Hollywood Boulevard’ in 1977. But a new documentary premiering at Venice calls for its redemption‘Evokes not terror but laughter.” “A movie for morons, a total cheesy rip-off that makes not one minute of coherent sense.” “The stupidest major movie ever made.” These were some of the milder responses from reviewers to Exorcist II: The Heretic, one of the most notorious disasters in Hollywood history, on its release in 1977. Its director, John Boorman, says he felt utterly humiliated and close to despair. “I considered my choices. The first was to commit suicide. The second was to defect to Russia,” the chastened director told one interviewer. He asked another if he could atone for his film by “immolating myself on Hollywood Boulevard”.What was the problem? Audiences had, most likely, been looking for shock and horror, revolving heads and vomit, but Boorman gave them metaphysics and surrealism instead –...

Politics

2 h. ago ‘I won’t stand on the shoreline and shout at the sea’: Cooper attacks Farage and Badenoch’s migrant crackdown calls

The home secretary insisted the government will ‘get on with the hard graft, roll up our sleeves and do it step by step’

Events

2 h. ago Lewis Capaldi calls out celebrities who ‘lied’ about checking in on him during music hiatus

Lewis Capaldi has called out celebrities who “lied” about reaching out to him during his two-year career hiatus.

Politics

2 h. ago Bob MacIntyre earns amazing Ryder Cup salute as his brilliance places him next to Rory McIlroy

European skipper dishes out praise to Scottish star as he describes Rory McIlroy as a giant

Politics

2 h. ago Man with dog unfurls Iran protest banner from King’s Cross clock tower

Rail services at London station unaffected and emergency services working to bring incident to safe conclusionA man holding what appears to be a pomeranian dog has climbed to the top of King’s Cross station in London where has unfurled a banner calling for freedom for Iran.The man could be seen standing in front of the clock face on the station’s 34-metre tower at rush hour on Tuesday morning. Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago Home Office tells foreign students they will be removed if they overstay visas

About 130,000 to be contacted for first time in response to ‘alarming’ spike in numbers claiming asylum Tens of thousands of foreign students are to be contacted directly by the government and warned that they will be removed from the UK if they overstay their visas.The Home Office has launched the new campaign in response to what it has called an “alarming” spike in the number of international students arriving legally on student visas then claiming asylum when they expire. Continue reading...

Society

2 h. ago Strong signals and stronger futures: GoFire and theSpace launch new youth fund in Dunbar

Independent Scottish broadband provider GoFibre has teamed up with community organisation theSpace Scotland CIC to launch a new youth-focused initiative in East Lothian.

Events

2 h. ago Israel starts calling up reservists as it pushes into initial stages of Gaza City offensive

Israel is mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists as part of a gradual call-up tied to its expanded offensive in the Gaza Strip's largest city

Politics

2 h. ago Arsenal phone call saw star refuse to play while on team bus – he tried to force transfer

Former Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has recalled a story about one of his star players receiving a phone call to join Arsenal on the team bus ahead of a Premier League game

Sport