News

Glasgow City Council hires Celtic Park for various events The local authority has paid nearly £140,000 to host events at Parkhead stadium over the last five years - more than three times the figure they’ve paid to use Hampden. The council has hired out part of the stadium 22 times while Ibrox has never been used. The national football stadium, Hampden, has been used seven times. The events related to either the education or social work departments at the local authority. The council said it would always explore internal options to host learning and teaching development conferences and events, but…

How a father’s idea turned into a unique business John McGlone, a father of three from Coatbridge, was inspired by a video of a street vendor in the Far East making flowers from candy floss. He decided to try something similar, but with a twist: creating animals and famous characters from the sugary snack. He travelled to Asia to learn the art of candy floss sculpting, and then brought it back to Scotland. He launched his business, Ice Lab, in East Kilbride and Coatbridge, where he offers his customers a range of candy floss creations, from Minions and Monsters Inc.…

A petition opposing the proposal to turn the historic New Picture House into a sports and entertainment venue has gained more than 7500 signatures. The New Picture House: a cultural treasure in St Andrews The New Picture House is the only cinema in St Andrews, a town famous for its golf courses and university. The cinema opened in 1931 and has been a place of entertainment and community for generations. It is also a protected building by Historic Environment Scotland, which praises its unique design and local identity. The cinema owners say they have received a “unique investment opportunity” from…

UK Government approves largest untapped oilfield in the North Sea The UK Government has given the green light to the Rosebank oil and gas field, which lies north-west of Shetland and contains up to 350 million barrels of oil. The decision has been backed by a majority of Scots, according to a Savanta poll for The Scotsman. The Rosebank field is owned by Equinor and Ithaca Energy, and could produce 69,000 barrels of oil per day, about 8 per cent of the UK’s projected daily output between 2026 and 2030. It could also produce 44 million cubic feet of gas…

Israel has given an unprecedented evacuation order to the residents of northern Gaza, warning them to flee south or face a massive ground invasion. The move has sparked outrage and fear among the Palestinians, who have no safe place to go amid the relentless bombardment and blockade. But what is behind Israel’s ultimatum? Is it a humanitarian gesture or a strategic plan to change the Middle East? The toll of the siege on Gaza’s hospitals The Israeli airstrikes and power blackouts have taken a terrible toll on Gaza’s hospitals, which are struggling to cope with the influx of wounded and…

The Scottish National Party (SNP) is holding its annual conference this week, where one of the main topics of debate will be the party’s strategy for achieving independence from the UK. The SNP leadership has put forward a motion that outlines how a mandate for independence negotiations will be secured and what happens next. However, some members have proposed amendments to the motion, suggesting different criteria for a mandate. Here are some of the key points of the debate: Majority of seats or most seats? The original motion states that if the SNP wins the most seats at the next…

A shocking defection ahead of SNP conference Lisa Cameron, a Scottish National Party (SNP) MP, has announced that she is leaving the party and joining the Conservatives in a stunning and unprecedented move. She said she was unhappy with the “toxic and bullying” culture of the SNP Westminster group and the lack of support from the party leadership. She also said she wanted to focus on “constructive policies that benefit everyone” in the UK, rather than the “division” of independence. The background of Lisa Cameron’s decision Ms Cameron has been the MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow since 2015.…

Growing demand for school places in Glasgow Glasgow City Council is struggling to cope with the increasing demand for school places in the city, as nearly a dozen schools were forced to turn away children in their local catchment areas, according to the latest figures. Education bosses say there has been a surge in demand for some popular schools, which have reached or exceeded their capacity. Some schools managed to find extra classroom space to accommodate more pupils, but others had to offer alternative places elsewhere. Secondary schools under pressure The most affected schools were in the secondary sector, where…