10+ min ago (235+ words) RAIL passengers have faced "major disruption" on the East Coast Main Line after a person was hit by a train between Edinburgh and Berwick-upon-Tweed. The online statement read: "We are experiencing major disruption across the LNER route due to a person being hit by a train between Edinburgh and Berwick-upon-Tweed, and a fault with the signalling system at Leeds." In an update at 1.54pm on Sunday, the train operating company said signalling had been restored at Leeds and lines were open between Edinburgh and Berwick-upon-Tweed. However, LNER added that "services are still subject to delays and cancellations while our train service recovers". Customers can use their existing tickets to travel either on Monday or Tuesday. LNER said customers could also book new seat reservations online if their original train was cancelled. The East Coast Main Line was also disrupted due to…...

1+ hour, 29+ min ago (482+ words) SCOTTISH Labour MPs are reportedly backing ousting Keir Starmer ahead of next year's Holyrood elections over fears the party faces a "slaughter" in May due to the Prime Minister's unpopularity." Senior party sources in Westminster have told The Times that Starmer is "very unpopular" with voters in Scotland and that his remaining at the helm of the party jeopardises any ambitions Labour has of taking on the SNP next year." According to The Times Scottish MPs are among the keenest in replacing Starmer in the new year in a bid to install a less damaging figurehead for the party." One insider reportedly told The Times: "The situation is untenable. The question for those of us with elections next May is "is there time for a change', or do we wait to be slaughtered?" "My preference is before May." Meanwhile, another…...

1+ hour, 59+ min ago (355+ words) A MAJOR milestone in Scotland's internet identity has been reached with the launch of a new domain. DotScot, the domain for the worldwide community of Scots, has announced that .co.scot domains are now available for purchase in what bosses behind the firm say is a "turning point" for people worldwide to express their Scottish connection. The firm's .scot domains are used by the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, NHS Scotland, and by businesses, organisations, and individuals across the country along with a further 62 countries around the world." DotScot are calling the .co.scot launch the "biggest development" since the launch of .scot in 2014. The new domain has a lower price than many of the traditional domains, including . co.uk , at "4.95 per year, and will help make DotScot more affordable for people in Scotland and Scots worldwide. The new domain…...

2+ hour, 12+ min ago (139+ words) SCOTTISH members of Your Party will meet in the new year to launch the fledgling left-wing party north of the Border, The National can reveal. The party's inaugural conference will be held in Dundee on January 10 and 11, delegates in Liverpool were told. Party member Niall Christie told a Scottish fringe event that there would be no sortition, in contrast to the conference England this weekend. It is understood the Scottish party will use the constitution voted into existence on Sunday as a template for their rules. Delegates at the Dundee event will decide on whether to stand candidates in the Holyrood election and members have told The National they would like to see Your Party compete for list seats. Christie told members that the costs of the event were being met by the central party....

2+ hour, 35+ min ago (771+ words) HUMZA Yousaf has warned that a generation of young Scots are at risk of being lost to far-right extremists as he blamed consecutive UK Governments for "legitimising" and "mainstreaming" racist views. The former first minister said in an interview with the Sunday Mail that no government, even in Scotland, has been able to promote positive masculinity in a bid to counter the "very toxic traits" advocated by the likes of Andrew Tate and Tommy Robinson. The former SNP leader's comments come after statistics this month revealed the number of young Scots being referred to the Prevent counter-terrorism programme has doubled, with 90% of those referred being male and holding extreme right-wing views. Yousaf said addressing the fact that more youngsters are being influenced by toxic traits promoted by extremists and misogynists needs to be a national priority "before it's far too…...

4+ hour, 26+ min ago (416+ words) VOLUNTEERS who pick up litter on beaches have been warned to wear gloves to prevent a serious infection from toxic microplastics. The warning comes after a study found that microplastics can act as carriers for harmful pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria, enhancing their survival and spread. Researchers say this poses a growing risk to environmental and public health and have called for urgent action to improve waste management. Those who take part in beach cleans have been warned to wear gloves to cut the risk. The researchers have also warned of a potential biosecurity risk to aquaculture facilities, where filter-feeding organisms such as oysters and mussels may ingest particles containing pathogens. "Our research shows that microplastics aren't just an environmental issue " they may also play a role in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance," said Dr Aimee Murray, study co-author and…...

5+ hour, 19+ min ago (456+ words) THE BBC has refused to issue a public correction after Laura Kuenssberg made false claims about a UK Government deal for shipbuilding on the Clyde. In an episode of the Laura Kuenssberg show on October 12 the presenter claimed the UK Government was spending "10 billion on Clyde shipbuilding in an interview with First Minister John Swinney. The BBC has admitted this commentary was incorrect in an apology shared on social media by a complainant, but has refused to issue any public correction. The Twitter/X account MSM Monitor has said despite the BBC saying Kuenssberg summarised the situation correctly later on in the programme, the error "still breaches BBC guidelines" and "must be acknowledged". It comes after Swinney was forced to correct Kuenssberg for other errors she made in the same programme about Scottish politics. During the interview, Kuenssberg incorrectly referred…...

5+ hour, 34+ min ago (574+ words) ASYLUM seekers will be banned from using taxis for most medical journeys, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced. The Government said the new rules will restrict taxi use for medical travel to exceptional, evidence-based cases such as physical disability, pregnancy or serious illness. Any such journey would require Home Office approval. The decision follows a recent BBC investigation that found "widespread" use of taxis by asylum seekers, including for long journeys. Taxi drivers have said the system was open to "abuse", accusing sub-contractors of inflating mileage, for instance by dispatching drivers over long distances to perform much shorter journeys. One told Radio 4s Today programme he had been dispatched from Gatwick to take an asylum seeker in Reading to an appointment 1.5 miles from his hotel. It is understood the policy change comes after a Home Office review of transport arrangements for…...

6+ hour, 15+ min ago (52+ words) All the updates as Zarah Sultana prepares to address Your Party conference amid expulsions controversy Live updates as Zarah Sultana to address Your Party - Founding event hit by row over expulsions as Jeremy Corbyn's faction accused of 'witch hunt' Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services....

6+ hour, 43+ min ago (340+ words) A YELLOW weather warning for rain has been issued for south-west Scotland for the whole of Monday. From midnight on Sunday evening through to 9pm on Monday, the south-west of the country including in and around Glasgow can expect heavy rain and some disruption. The Met Office has said flooding of a few homes and businesses is likely and bus and train services are likely to be impacted. Regions affected include Falkirk, Stirling, Dumfries and Galloway, small parts of the Scottish Borders and West Lothian, East and West Dunbartonshire, Argyll and Bute, Glasgow, Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire and North and South Lanarkshire. A report on the Met Office website says an area of rain will move steadily east across the area during Monday, turning heavy at times during the morning. Whilst the rain may ease for a time during the…...