Axel Piper

In a major step forward for ophthalmic care, Scotland has officially approved the first licensed formulation of bevacizumab for treating wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has given the green light to Lytenava (bevacizumab gamma), developed by Outlook Therapeutics, marking a significant development for patients at risk of permanent vision loss. A Game-Changer for Wet AMD Treatment Lytenava is the first and only licensed ophthalmic version of bevacizumab approved for wet AMD use in both the European Union and the United Kingdom. While bevacizumab has long been used off-label in ophthalmology, this is the first…

Physics grads eyeing a future in Scotland just got a major boost. The University of Strathclyde in Glasgow is now offering scholarships worth £7,000 — roughly Rs 7 lakh — to international students enrolling in its full-time postgraduate Physics programs this September. And the best part? No lengthy paperwork or applications. Eligible students are automatically considered once they pay their deposit. Simple route, serious reward Strathclyde has made the process refreshingly straightforward. From June 2 to July 31, 2025, students can register for their Physics MSc or MPhil programmes. Once they pay the required course deposit, the £7,000 scholarship kicks…

St Andrews has done it again—cementing its place at the peak of Scottish higher education and rubbing shoulders with the UK’s academic giants. The Complete University Guide 2026 just dropped, and St Andrews isn’t just holding steady—it’s climbing. This year, the historic university not only retained its position as the top-ranked university in Scotland but also placed within the top four across the entire UK. A significant feat. But what’s really caught eyes? The sheer sweep of its subject-specific rankings, with major leaps in everything from English to Biological Sciences. A Familiar Name at the Top, but the Gap is…

BALLYMENA, NORTHERN IRELAND — Officers from Police Scotland have been sent to Ballymena following a formal request for assistance from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), as tensions in the town continue to escalate after two consecutive nights of civil unrest. The move comes under the mutual aid agreement — a protocol allowing UK police forces to support one another in times of operational strain. An undisclosed number of public order officers, specially trained in handling large-scale disturbances, have been deployed. Violent Protests and Injuries The unrest in County Antrim was sparked by public anger over an alleged sexual…

European islands have always had a flair for the dramatic — sweeping cliffs, sun-drenched villages, and windswept ruins that seem plucked from a storyboard. In 2025, that natural charisma is being leveraged like never before as Spain joins Denmark, Ireland, Malta, and Scotland in luring U.S. and U.K. tourists away from predictable vacation paths and into travel packages inspired by the silver screen. Forget all-inclusive resorts and overcrowded capitals — this year, it’s about Cinematic Island Getaways, where fantasy collides with reality. With travel companies rolling out curated trips that mimic movie settings, these five island nations are tapping into…

Scotland’s devolved government has drawn a firm line in the sand on energy policy, rejecting nuclear power in favour of expanding renewables—even as Westminster commits over £16 billion to new nuclear development across England. Acting Energy Secretary Gillian Martin confirmed that Scotland would maintain its long-standing de facto ban on new nuclear facilities, despite pressure from political opponents and business leaders to reconsider. “We have a policy of 'no new nuclear',” Martin told BBC Scotland. “We think the investment is much better placed in renewable energy, which is cheaper to produce and cheaper for consumers.” Nuclear divide widens The comments…

In a sweeping Spending Review that could shape Scotland’s economic and strategic landscape for years to come, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has outlined significant funding allocations targeting defence, technology, and climate infrastructure—positioning Scotland as a critical node in the UK’s future-facing investment strategy. Among the headline figures: £250 million for the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarine base at HMNB Clyde in Faslane £750 million to establish the UK’s most powerful supercomputer in Edinburgh New support for the Acorn carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in St Fergus, Aberdeenshire Together, these projects form a central part of Labour’s “growth-first” approach—aiming not only…

In a case that has stirred debate across Scottish classrooms and social media platforms, a former physics teacher who branded herself online as a “good teacher gone bad” has been struck off the teaching register after sexually explicit images from her OnlyFans profile were viewed by senior pupils at her school. Kirsty Buchan, 34, from Coatbridge in North Lanarkshire, taught at Bannerman High School in Glasgow’s east end. She had been operating a paid-for OnlyFans account under the pseudonym Jessica Jackrabbit, which she also advertised through Instagram — an account visible to pupils. Last week, the General Teaching Council for…

A merger between two of Scotland’s biggest farming co-operatives could reshape the agricultural landscape for over 4,000 farmers and crofters, creating one of the largest machinery rings in the UK with a turnover topping £100 million. If approved next month, Laurencekirk-based Ringlink Scotland Ltd and Highland Business Services Ltd (HBS) will unite under a single name, bringing together decades of resource-pooling expertise across the Highlands, Argyll, Angus, and Fife. For farmers facing rising costs and labour shortages, this could be a timely shift. Why this merger matters now Machinery rings aren’t new in Scotland. But this proposed merger feels like…

A group of respected leaders from across Scotland’s health and care sectors have issued a striking open letter calling for urgent reform, cross-party collaboration, and a whole-of-society rethink of how health is created—not just delivered—in the country. Cracks in the System Are No Longer Deniable Scotland’s health service is in trouble. That’s the core message delivered by 13 senior professionals from medicine, public health, academia, charities, and social care. Their open letter, published in The Scotsman on 10 June, paints a sobering picture: dedicated NHS staff continue to do extraordinary work, but the system they operate in is stretched, clunky,…