Axel Piper

EDINBURGH — The Scottish Parliament has taken a major step toward legalising assisted dying after MSPs voted 70 to 56 in favour of advancing the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill in its first parliamentary hurdle on Tuesday. The outcome followed five hours of impassioned debate across party lines, with emotions running high in a chamber historically divided on the matter. The bill, introduced by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur, seeks to allow terminally ill adults in Scotland to seek medical assistance to end their lives — a seismic shift in end-of-life policy for the country. One lawmaker…

Edinburgh — As MSPs prepare for a pivotal vote on legalising assisted dying in Scotland, public sentiment is being shaped not just by ethics and ideology, but by deeply personal experiences of death, suffering, and care. The proposed legislation — tabled by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur — would allow terminally ill adults to seek medical assistance to end their lives, provided they are deemed mentally fit by two doctors. The bill is expected to be one of the most emotionally charged debates in the Scottish Parliament in years. Supporters like Tricia Donoghue, a retired nurse from Glasgow, say the…

Scotland’s salmon industry is calling for renewed trade negotiations following the UK’s recently announced trade deal with the United States — a deal that, crucially, does not remove the 10% tariff levied on Scottish salmon exports to the American market. Tavish Scott, chief executive of trade body Salmon Scotland, has urged the UK Government to seek further discussions aimed at eliminating the tariff, warning that the current arrangement falls short of delivering the competitive edge needed by exporters in one of their most important markets. “Today’s US-UK deal should be seen as a staging post – not the destination –…

DUBAI — Scotland's national cricket team has come under scrutiny after two of its senior players, Matthew Cross and Mark Watt, were fined 10 percent of their match fees for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during their recent ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 match against the Netherlands. The breaches occurred during the highly competitive fixture held in Dubai as part of the ongoing tri-nation series also involving Namibia. The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed the sanctions in a statement late Monday, citing separate incidents of misconduct by the two players. What Happened on the…

In the remote Highland village of Duror, one of the UK’s smallest schools continues to defy the odds. With just two pupils, Duror Primary stands as a symbol of both rural charm and the challenges faced by rural education in the modern era. A century-old Victorian-era building, it has seen decades of history, but its future was recently uncertain due to dwindling pupil numbers. However, after a passionate campaign led by locals, the school will remain open, as a wave of new young children is expected to bolster its enrollment. The decision comes as a relief to the village and…

Strange stone circles discovered on the Isle of Skye may hold the key to understanding one of early humanity’s most remarkable feats—pushing the boundaries of survival to the frigid northwest of Scotland. Early Humans Push North: A Bold Move New research into these mysterious stone circles reveals the ambitious nature of early humans who ventured far beyond their known habitats, settling in an area that was thought to be too harsh for human life at the time. The circles, ranging from 3 to 5 meters (10 to 16 feet) in diameter, are believed to have been built during the Late…

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's former first minister, has expressed grave concerns over the implications of the recent Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of a woman, which she argues could make life "almost unliveable" for transgender people. Speaking publicly for the first time since the landmark decision, Sturgeon voiced her unease not only with the ruling itself but also with interim guidance released by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) that would restrict trans women’s access to single-sex spaces like hospitals, shops, and restaurants. A Landmark Judgment The Supreme Court’s ruling last month concluded that “sex” under the Equality…

Scotland’s rocky history just got a major rewrite. New research reveals that a massive meteorite struck the country 990 million years ago—much more recently than scientists had believed—upending long-held timelines and sparking new theories about the emergence of life on Earth. A Shocking Adjustment to Scotland’s Ancient Past For years, geologists pegged the impact that formed the famous Stac Fada Member rocks in northwestern Scotland at 1.2 billion years ago. Turns out, they were off by a cool 200 million years. A team led by Professor Chris Kirkland at Curtin University’s Frontier Institute has now confirmed the meteorite impact actually…

Scotland has greenlit 11 hydrogen ventures for a £3.4 million cash injection, aiming to power up its green energy ambitions and speed up the country’s move away from fossil fuels. The funding, announced Monday, covers everything from production to transport and storage — giving a real push to projects that could shape the nation’s future energy backbone. Winners Named After Intense Shortlisting Round It wasn’t a free-for-all. This fund didn’t just land in anyone’s lap. Back in September 2024, the Scottish Government opened the doors for applications under a match-funding scheme. Applicants could claim up to 50% of their project…

A small field in the Scottish countryside, located near the Solway Firth, has become the center of a historic revelation that could change everything we thought we knew about the origins of modern football. The site, near Anwoth Kirk in Dumfries and Galloway, is believed to be the world’s oldest football pitch, dating back to the 1600s, nearly two centuries before the founding of the Football Association in England. Sports historian Ged O’Brien uncovered evidence suggesting that games were being played on this very patch of land, which not only pre-dates the official codification of football but might also explain…