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Vodafone has struck a multi-year deal with SP Energy Networks (SPEN), the energy infrastructure arm of ScottishPower, to overhaul and future-proof telecom systems that underpin Scotland’s electricity distribution and transmission grid. The four-year partnership will see Vodafone modernize SPEN’s operational telecom network — a vast digital nervous system that spans tens of thousands of substations, overhead lines, and underground cables serving around two million homes and businesses across central and southern Scotland. The agreement is part of SPEN’s broader £10.6 billion investment plan to revamp its electricity infrastructure, aligning it with the UK’s accelerating transition to renewable energy. Digitizing the…

A decision that could reshape UK equality law is coming next week — and it's already sparking fierce debate across the political and legal spectrum. On Wednesday, April 16, the UK Supreme Court will deliver its judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers. At stake: a defining answer to what "sex" means in the Equality Act 2010 — and whether that meaning can be altered by a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC). The ruling is expected around 10am and will be streamed live from Court 1. With interest from activists, politicians, and legal observers alike, the spotlight is…

Scotland recorded its hottest day of the year so far on Thursday, with the mercury soaring to 22.7°C in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, as emergency services scrambled to contain multiple wildfires erupting across the country. The unseasonably warm and dry conditions, intensified by climate-driven weather patterns, have forced the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) to upgrade their wildfire risk from “very high” to “extreme” across central, eastern, northern, and southwestern regions of the country. Four Major Fires Erupt in One Day As temperatures rose, fires broke out in Glen Rosa on the Isle of Arran, near John Kennedy Drive in Thurso,…

The Lahore skies had other plans on Friday as rain and rumbling clouds pushed the Pakistan vs Scotland ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier clash into an anxious, unwanted delay. What was meant to be a crisp 10:00 AM IST start at the historic Lahore City Cricket Association Ground turned into a waiting game, with both teams stuck indoors while the grounds crew kept their eyes glued to the radar and covers firmly on the pitch. Wet Skies, Dry Patience: Toss Yet to Take Place The toss, originally scheduled for half an hour before the start, never happened. Thunderstorms swept through…

Public Health Scotland is pushing harder than ever to get jabs in arms this spring — especially in East Lothian — as new data hints at waning protection and rising Covid concerns ahead of summer. Health officials say the window is closing fast. With the spring Covid vaccine campaign running until June 30, those most vulnerable — particularly over-75s, care home residents, and people with weakened immune systems — are being urged not to delay. The message is clear: protection fades, and topping up immunity could keep thousands out of hospital. Uptake Worries Linger as Eligibility Letters Go Out The…

Scotland’s planning system is under pressure — but the solution might not be in more reform. It could be in recruitment. With the housing crisis worsening and developers warning of costly delays in planning approvals, the Scottish Government is making a generational bet: that the planning system can be rejuvenated by attracting young people and mid-career changers into the profession. Speaking during a visit to the £29 million Water Row development in Govan, Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee unveiled the National Planning Skills Commitment Plan — a new framework aimed at strengthening the pipeline of planning professionals and speeding up…

It has been nearly a year since the Scottish Government formally declared a national housing emergency, yet the situation on the ground shows few signs of improvement. New figures suggest the delivery of homes — particularly affordable housing — is in sharp decline. The private sector is often blamed, but leading voices within the industry argue that the roots of the problem lie elsewhere: in how we understand, allocate, and plan to deliver land. The most recent quarterly housing statistics, published on 25 March 2025, paint a bleak picture: A 7% drop in overall new home completions year-on-year A staggering…

In a landmark move, the Scottish government has for the first time invoked rarely used legal powers to force a red deer cull on a Highland estate — sparking renewed debate over land management, environmental protection, and the balance between tradition and ecology. First-ever compulsory cull order under Deer Act Scotland’s nature agency NatureScot has stepped in to compel the owners of Loch Choire Estate in Sutherland to dramatically reduce deer numbers on their property. The move, approved by Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie, marks the first use of a compulsory deer management control scheme under the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996.…

Volunteering across Scotland is collapsing at a pace few predicted. A new report puts the scale of the problem into stark perspective, with hundreds of thousands stepping back — or never stepping forward — to help. A warning from Volunteer Scotland says the country is in the midst of a volunteering crisis, one that's stretching the third sector to its limits. People are burned out, skint, and simply out of time. Formal volunteering numbers plummet across the country In just one year — between 2022 and 2023 — formal volunteering dropped by four percentage points. Doesn’t sound like much? That’s…

Scotland has recorded its largest annual rise in carbon emissions in over 20 years, with new government data revealing a sharp 15% increase in the national carbon footprint between 2020 and 2021. The country’s footprint — which accounts for the climate impact of all goods and services consumed in Scotland, including imported products, domestic travel, heating, and more — rose from 52 million tonnes to 59 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. The figures, released on 8 April 2025, mark a dramatic rebound in climate-harming emissions following the pandemic-related slowdown in global economic activity. Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels — and…