13 h. ago North Lanarkshire commuters to benefit from increased bus service between Glasgow and Edinburgh

Coach operator Scottish Citylink has increased the frequency of journeys on its Service 900 route between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Politics

13 h. ago The Breakdown | So much at stake and Six Nations just the start in ‘massive year for rugby union’

We may know the sport’s future is bright when trendsetters worldwide are wearing Fabien Galthié-style shadesOn the surface it was business at usual at this year’s Six Nations launch in a chilly Edinburgh. Had the city’s most famous literary sleuth poked his nose into the venue at the top of the Royal Mile, Inspector Rebus would have clocked the usual suspects: head coaches trying not to divulge any secrets, captains quietly studying their opposite numbers and content creators seeking to “jazz up” their tournament previews.This year’s booby prize went to the “influencer” who asked Caelan Doris, Ireland’s captain, whether or not he liked Fabien Galthié’s thick-rimmed glasses. It was almost on a par with the Breakdown’s all-time classic: the day someone asked Rob Baxter, Exeter’s director of rugby, to pick his favourite motorway service station. “Taunton Deane,” came the instant reply. “Because it means we’re almost home.” Brilliant. Continue reading...

Politics

13 h. ago Edinburgh Zoo welcomes trio of energetic female king penguins for first time in decade

The trio of female penguins have now been introduced to the four male penguins.

Politics

13 h. ago Scotland call up two players to Six Nations squad as Edinburgh man is sent back to club

Cherry and Dobie nurse injuries ahead of opener in Rome

Sport

14 h. ago Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens closed as Storm Chandra brings high winds and rain to city

Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens have been closed today as wind and rain batter the country.

Politics

14 h. ago The Traitors' Amanda and Jade had a secret real life connection all along as fans floored by 'insane' video reveal

During their time on the BBC show, retired police detective Amanda suspected Jade of being a Traitor from very early on - although both were actually Faithfuls.

Politics

14 h. ago The footprints that rewrite the evolution of flight: Ancient tracks suggest birds could be 60 MILLION years older than thought

An AI app, developed by researchers from the University of Edinburgh, has been used to analyse footprints made by dinosaurs more than 200 million years ago.

Politics

14 h. ago Tech giants head to landmark US trial over social media addiction claims

Meta, YouTube and TikTok accused of making products intentionally addictive and harmful to young peopleFor the first time, a massive group of parents, teens and school districts is taking on the world’s most powerful social media companies in open court, accusing the tech giants of intentionally designing their products to be addictive. The blockbuster legal proceedings may see multiple CEOs, including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, face harsh questioning.A long-awaited series of trials kicks off in Los Angeles superior court on Tuesday, in which hundreds of US families will allege that Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube’s platforms harm children. Once young people are hooked, the plaintiffs allege, they fall prey to depression, eating disorders, self-harm and other mental health issues. Approximately 1,600 plaintiffs are included in the proceedings, involving more than 350 families and 250 school districts. Continue reading...

Politics

15 h. ago Two Women Living Together by Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo review – the Korean bestseller about platonic partnership

A quietly revolutionary account of cohabiting captured a nation’s heart – but what does it mean for the rest of the world?When Sunwoo and Hana met on Twitter, they were in their 40s and committed bachelorettes. Both raised by the sea in Busan, they studied in Seoul before entering the city’s famously brutal rat race, Sunwoo as a fashion journalist, Hana as a copywriter. They shared the same taste in music and books, and importantly, both had rejected marriage. No wonder. In South Korea’s stubbornly patriarchal culture, women in dual-income families spend nearly three hours more a day on household chores than men. Instead, Sunwoo and Hana joined the large number of South Koreans living alone. At first, independence felt exhilarating. By middle age however, loneliness was beginning to gnaw, and their boxy studio apartments felt oppressively small.Two Women Living Together, a 2019 South Korean bestseller that spawned a popular podcast, charts Sunwoo and Hana’s ...

Politics

16 h. ago IShowSpeed says incredible Africa trip ‘opened my eyes’ as streamer ends viral tour of continent

‘I’ve done so many incredible things in my life but this trip is different,’ said the American streamer as he concluded his tour of the continent

Politics

16 h. ago Coronation Street's Sam Blakeman actor has famous dad and fans will be floored

Coronation Street actor Jude Riordan is not the only famous and talented member of his family

Politics

16 h. ago Edinburgh civil engineering consultancy enters ‘exciting next chapter’ after takeover

“This is a major opportunity for our team and our clients” – Mark Fisher, director, Quattro Consult

Politics

17 h. ago The woodland walk near Greater Manchester perfect for a winter’s day

It ends with an outdoor tearoom serving up hot drinks and tasty treats

Politics

17 h. ago Streamer IShowSpeed samples food and learns traditional dances in African tour

The American streamer and YouTuber IShowSpeed is wrapping up a 28-day tour of Africa aimed at showcasing the continent's cultural diversity

Society

17 h. ago The Fukushima towns frozen in time: nature has thrived since the nuclear disaster but what happens if humans return?

Fifteen years after a tsunami caused the Fukushima nuclear accident, only bears, raccoons and boar are seen on the streets. But the authorities and some locals want people to move backNorio Kimura pauses to gaze through the dirt-flecked window of Kumamachi primary school in Fukushima. Inside, there are still textbooks lying on the desks, pencil cases are strewn across the floor; empty bento boxes that were never taken home.Along the corridor, shoes line the route the children took when they fled, some still in their indoor plimsolls, as their town was rocked by a magnitude-9 earthquake on the afternoon of 11 March 2011 which went on to cause the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chornobyl. Continue reading...

Events

17 h. ago Zoning in on Leith, Edinburgh – ‘It’s been a joy to watch the area reinvent itself’

The historic port district – and setting for Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting – has evolved into a cultural and culinary hub. In the first of a new series, a local resident visits the venues powering the resurgenceLeith is Edinburgh’s port district, where people, goods and new ideas have flowed into the city for centuries. Here, the Water of Leith river meets the sea, and on bright days, when pubs and restaurants spill out to the Shore area, there’s nowhere quite like it. I moved here 13 years ago, and it has been a joy to watch the area evolve and reinvent itself. Today it’s the city’s creative heart, full of artists, musicians, designers and startups, with a thriving food and drink scene. The arrival of the tramline from Edinburgh city centre in 2023 has given it a big boost too. Continue reading...

Politics

17 h. ago TikTok, Meta and YouTube face landmark addiction trial over claims they harm children

At the core of the case is a 19-year-old identified only by the initials ‘KGM’

Technology

18 h. ago ‘I box to exorcise the badness’: Sue Webster on boozy spats, her thrilling new work – and having a baby at 52

She was half of a 90s art power couple that seemed unstoppable. But they split and the trauma floored her. Now she’s back with defiant paintings celebrating her punk past – and late-career motherhoodSue Webster is reminiscing about boozy 90s art openings. A hazy memory of Damien Hirst riding Leigh Bowery’s shoulders is surfacing, and a terrible fight with Jake Chapman at Charles Saatchi’s gallery. “It was a verbal thing but he was probably about to punch me. You’d get very drunk on the free champagne.”Webster, and her former partner in art, romance and general punk rockery, Tim Noble, hit London in 1992 as the YBAs rose to fame. Five years later, Saatchi stopped by their cheap-as-chips live-work space in Shoreditch and, with his taxi still running outside, snapped up a light sculpture called Toxic Schizophrenia and a “shadow sculpture” titled Miss Understood and Mr Meanor. The shadow sculptures were meticulously melded pieces of junk and detritus which, when lit from one side, proje...

Politics

18 h. ago Meta, TikTok and YouTube face landmark trial over youth addiction claims

Three of the world’s biggest tech companies face a landmark trial in Los Angeles starting this week over claims their platforms deliberately addict and harm children

Technology

20 h. ago Edinburgh cycle hire scheme criticised by Greens over 'teething problems'

Edinburgh's new cycle hire scheme has been criticised by Green councillors over "teething problems".

Politics