Scotland ‘needs to give voice to the voiceless’
Scotland’s public services watchdog has accused the Scottish Government of a “lack of progress” over enabling her to hold public value investigations.
Scotland
New Caledonian Sleeper fleet undergoes trials ahead of full rollout
Caledonian Sleeper has trialled its new carriages running from Scotland to London Euston ahead of the rollout of the new fleet in May.
UK Government ‘cancels Brexit talks with Scotland and Wales’
The UK Government has cancelled talks with senior politicians from Scotland and Wales over Brexit, MSPs have been told.
Glasgow Airport rail link ‘badly needed’, Scottish Government told
Proposals to build a rail link between Glasgow Airport and Glasgow city centre must be progressed “as a matter of urgency”, according to opposition parties at Holyrood.
Pigeon dropping infection ‘contributed’ to child’s death, MSPs told
A review will be carried out at Scotland’s flagship hospital after it emerged one of the two patients who died there after contracting an infection linked to pigeon droppings was a child.
Snow fall in west Highlands causes traffic chaos
Snow has hit the western parts of Scotland with Oban and Fort William feeling the brunt of the weather.
Some children exposed to risk and neglect for too long, review finds
Authorities looking into concerns about children’s well-being provided a “less consistently robust” response in cases where youngsters were suffering from “chronic poor parenting”, inspectors have said.
Cancer referral guidelines updated to help identify symptoms early
Guidelines on cancer referrals in Scotland have been updated in a bid to recognise symptoms of the disease earlier.
New BBC Scotland channel programming details revealed
Singer Emeli Sande picking buskers to perform with an orchestra and a new drama featuring stars from Game of Thrones and Line of Duty are among the latest shows announced for the new BBC Scotland channel.
Body found on beach is that of missing man, police confirm
Police Scotland have confirmed a body recovered from Balmedie beach in Aberdeenshire on Saturday is that of a missing man.
Vulnerable man found dead after police ‘mishandled report of concern’
Police failed to record a report of concern for a vulnerable man who went missing and was later found dead, an investigation has indicated.
Scottish teaching profession urged to reflect diversity of classrooms
There must be greater diversity in Scotland’s teaching profession to help promote equality, MSPs will be told.
Jobless total in Scotland drops below 100,000 for first time
Unemployment in Scotland has fallen below 100,000 for the first time, new figures have revealed.
Widening gap between rich and poor Scots visiting their dentist, figures suggest
People from Scotland’s most deprived areas are less likely to have visited their NHS dentist in the past two years than their more affluent peers, new figures indicate.
Prince of Wales to open health and well-being centre at Dumfries House
The Prince of Wales is to open a new health and well-being centre at Dumfries House on Tuesday.
Periodic table to highlight scarcity of elements used in mobile phones
Chemical elements which make up everyday devices such as smartphones and TVs have been included in an “endangered list”.
Scottish authorities have slowest internet speeds in UK, study claims
Parts of Scotland receive the worst broadband connection in the UK, according to new research.
No-deal Brexit could cost Scotland £14bn a year by 2034, study claims
A no-deal Brexit could cost Scotland £14 billion a year, new analysis by business organisation the CBI has indicated.
Scottish Brexit Secretary to tell Brussels: We want to stay in EU
Scotland wants to retain EU membership, the Scottish Brexit minister is set to tell European leaders and business chiefs on a visit to Brussels.
Police hunt men who attempted to rob delivery driver in Edinburgh
A delivery driver was assaulted and threatened by two men in a botched robbery attempt in Edinburgh.
Lib Dems call for improved mental health absence recording
All public bodies should record staff mental health absences, the Scottish Liberal Democrats have said.
Calls for outright ban on shock collars for pets in Scotland
The Scottish Government is facing calls to bring in an outright ban on electric shock collars for pets.
Business group criticises public-sector bodies who ‘undermine’ high streets
Ministers are being urged to “come down hard” on public-sector bodies which pull out of town-centre sites.
Scottish Government ranked 72nd in list of most LGBT inclusive employers
The Scottish Government has been included in a list of the 100 most LGBT inclusive employers in the UK.
Super blood wolf moon delights skygazers lucky enough to be under clear skies
Skygazers in parts of the UK lucky enough to be under clear skies have been treated to the astronomical spectacle of a “super blood wolf moon”.
Police launch crackdown on uninsured drivers
Police in Scotland are targeting uninsured drivers in a crackdown which aims to remove them from the country’s roads.
Blackford urges PM to ‘fundamentally’ change position on Brexit
The SNP’s Westminster leader has said that the Prime Minister needs to “fundamentally change her position” to end the Brexit deadlock.
Pocket-sized tick removers to be handed out to those at risk of Lyme disease
Potentially life-saving equipment will be handed out to Scots at risk of contracting a disease on the hills, the Scottish Government has confirmed.
Michael Leask says Scotland should be aiming to ‘wallop’ Ireland and The Netherlands
Michael Leask is one of Scotland's most aggressive cricketers.
Aberdeen care services face recruitment crisis
More than half of care homes in Scotland are struggling to recruit staff, with Aberdeen struggling to fill many vacancies.
Fresh blow to Scottish Government’s named person scheme
The group tasked with drawing up a code of practice for a key part of the Scottish Government’s named person scheme is finding it “challenging” to ensure this is “simple, concise and accessible”.
Scottish Labour defends ‘Vision for Scotland’ video partially filmed in Wales
The Scottish Labour party has defended itself after viewers noticed a promotional video was partially filmed in Wales.