32 m. ago SNP accused of 'raiding' £8bn from councils' core funding as tax poised to rise

New analysis has suggested SNP ministers have cut Scottish councils’ core funding by almost £8 billion.

Economics

33 m. ago Labour has humane and popular plans to stand up for UK workers. Why dilute them? | Gaby Hinsliff

Angela Rayner’s employment rights bill is precisely why many voted for this government. Why be embarrassed about a defining policy?One step forward, two steps back. Angela Rayner’s employment rights bill is back in the Commons this week, stuffed with ideas for improving everyday working life: that’s the big step forward for a government that was elected on a promise of radical change. The weekend headlines, however, were all about what won’t be changing after all. The so-called right to switch off – an early Rayner idea about legislating to prevent employees being pestered by out-of-hours calls and emails, which was already presumed dead due to not being in the bill – was ritually killed off once again for the Sunday papers, with a briefing that it still won’t be in the bill after fresh amendments are tabled on Tuesday.Presumably the idea was to reassure businesses fearful of extra regulatory burdens, on top of the looming April hike in employers’ national insurance. But since it’s ...

Politics

93 m. ago Russia sending ‘suicidal missions’ to win foothold over Dnipro River, says Ukraine

Moscow trying to improve its claim to entire Kherson region in time for peace negotiations, says governorRussian forces are repeatedly trying to seize a foothold across Ukraine’s Dnipro River, dispatching troops on high-casualty missions to gain territory for future peace negotiations, according to the Ukrainian governor of Kherson region.Oleksandr Prokudin said Russian forces were trying to cross in four locations to justify their claim to the whole oblast, one of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow says it wants to incorporate. Continue reading...

Events

98 m. ago Scottish business body unveils chairman amid plea to ‘break down barriers to growth’

“We’ll be working together to tackle many of the issues that are holding back firms’ investment” – Michelle Ferguson, CBI Scotland director

Politics

2 h. ago Police Scotland officers suffering burnout as 68,000 days off cancelled in just six months

Cops in Greater Glasgow, Tayside, and Lothian and Borders complained of low morale and dwindling resources.

Events

4 h. ago 'The harsh light of scrutiny is shining on the Labour Welsh Government'

Rhun ap Iorwerth is the leader of Plaid Cymru. In this opinion piece, he lays out why Plaid Cymru will not vote for Welsh Labour's spending plans

Politics

6 h. ago We've been told parking on our own driveways is ILLEGAL and now have to pay £7,000 for the privilege

All the properties are located in Streatham Vale where residents have been told they will have to apply for planning permission to drop the kerb and then pay for the work to be carried out.

Economics

6 h. ago The 10 locations in Scotland that will get up to £20m each from UK government to regenerate communities

Scottish Government welcomes cash but says it should have been invested through “well established mechanisms”

Politics

6 h. ago Angela Rayner rolls out £1.5billion pot to boost 75 neighbourhoods

A total of 75 areas will each receive up to £20million in funding over the next decade to help revive high streets, youth clubs, parks and libraries, the government said

Economics

6 h. ago Government adverts launched to warn of misinformation from people smugglers

The digital content shared by the Home Office comes as part of an international campaign to warn those considering coming to the UK.

Events

6 h. ago Channel 4 News featured son of Hamas official used in BBC Gaza documentary

Footage of Abdullah al-Yazouri, whose father is deputy agriculture minister, included in Gaza reportsChannel 4 News featured the son of a Hamas official in its Gaza coverage, the same teenager who narrated a controversial BBC documentary on the conflict, it has emerged. The news programme used footage of Abdullah al-Yazouri without initially disclosing he was the son of Ayman al-yazouri, the deputy agriculture minister in Gaza’s Hamas-run government. Channel 4 News reported on one occasion that Abdullah was selling chocolate on the streets of Rafah to “help support his family”, according to The Telegraph. Abdullah narrated the BBC’s documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone which was pulled from the iPlayer after details of his family background emerged, with the corporation’s board last week apologising for “significant and damaging” mistakes.In a statement on Monday, Channel 4 News said no payments were made to Abdullah or his family and the boy did not feature in Channel 4 News’...

Politics

7 h. ago Teen pulled out to sea by 'rare weather phenomenon' on coast of holiday hotspot

An alert had been issued by the Canary Islands government, warning of four-metre waves and hazardous conditions along the coast, but the teenager's family were unaware

Politics

7 h. ago Farmers to gather in London for pancake day protest against inheritance tax

Attendees will march from Whitehall at around midday towards Parliament, with the demonstration due to end at 3pm.

Economics

9 h. ago AI superintelligence will demolish society as we know it in one year, tech CEO proclaims

Dario Amodei is urging governments to wise up quickly and figure out how daily life will work when Artificial Intelligence is 'better than all of us at everything'

Science

10 h. ago Students in Lanarkshire who are unpaid carers urged to check if they qualify for financial help

It’s estimated around 35,000 attend college or university in Scotland

Politics

10 h. ago Labour UK government unveils £200m to regenerate Scottish communities

Scottish Government welcomes cash but says it should have been invested through “well established mechanisms”

Politics

11 h. ago Dan Biggar's Scotland comments are more relevant than ever and it gives Wales an edge

The former Wales fly-half was strong about Scotland in the past but the comments still hold weight

Politics

12 h. ago Israel prepares Gaza ‘hell plan’ to pile pressure on Hamas – reports

Israel may cut off electricity to try to secure more hostage releases, as both sides prepare for war to restartThe Israeli government is reportedly planning to ratchet up its blockade on Gaza as part of what it has called a “hell plan” to pressure Hamas into further hostage releases without a troop withdrawal from the Palestinian territory.With the six-week-old ceasefire in limbo, and no sign of movement towards a second phase that was due to start last weekend, both sides were taking contingency steps to return to a war footing. Continue reading...

Politics

12 h. ago How I rediscovered the magic of salsa, the music of my mother's mother, in an Edinburgh bar

Salsa was the background to Lisa Simonis’s early childhood but it took an outgoing flatmate in Scotland’s capital to persuade her to rediscover this electrifying music and dance

Politics

12 h. ago Horrific stories of female refugees in Glasgow explain why they had to flee

One woman fled her home country under threat of execution by her government, another because her own family beat her savagely, a third because political opponents sent masked men with guns to stalk her and her family

Events