Dumfries and Galloway council and health staff gearing up for summer of strike action

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will start making the first payments of the £650 cost of living support from next week with a lump sum of £326 due to land in 8 million bank accounts from July 14. However, if you are not eligible for the means-tested payment, or any of the others due to be paid later this year, you may still be able to access financial support from your local council.

The two per cent pay offer made to council workers is ‘nothing short of an insult’ when councillors "gave themselves a 5.2 percent increase", say trade unions.

An Orange Walk planned in North Lanarkshire is expected to draw crowds of up to 8,000 people this weekend.

tickets and wait for a further update. We appreciate your understanding and patience. ’Although the statement did not elaborate further, fans quickly flooded the comments with well-wishes for lead singer Axl Rose, 60, who had earlier told audiences he had been struggling with his voice.

A new investigation by the UK’s biggest consumer website, MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE), has discovered that some 862,027 households in Scotland, England and Wales could be due a refund for overpaid Council Tax. A whopping £150.2 million is lying unclaimed, worth an average of £174 per account.

The Irn Bru Twitter account has rebranded as Haggis Soda for the day after Steve Carell gave the drink a try for the first time. The actor also gave the beloved drink his seal of approval.

Holidaymakers are expected to be hit by more disruption this weekend as airline staff take part in more strike action.

Red Hot Chili Peppers have cancelled their gig in Glasgow tonight (July 1) due to illness.It’s not known what exactly the illness is nor who is affected in the band or crew, but the funk rockers have been forced to postpone the Bellahouston Park show at the last minute.They wrote on social media that they are now trying to reschedule the date as quickly as possible, and that fans should hold onto their tickets and await further details.“RHCP love Scotland & are deeply disappointed not to be able to perform the show. Thank you for your understanding,” the band wrote online.Due to illness RHCP will not be able to perform in Glasgow tonight July 1.

Customers of the first shop in the world where items were bought with kindness instead of cash have pledged 195 hours of their time to volunteer at local charities.

Dumfries is to host the Robert Burns World Federation annual conference later this year.

West Dunbartonshire Council’s leader has accused the Scottish Government of cuts to local authority budgets “that would make Margaret Thatcher blush.”

A consultation on the future priorities of local services has been launched in West Lothian.

Strike action will see school closures and waste piling up on the streets, trade union leaders warned this week.

Coronation Street fans were left completely shocked this week after discovering the age gap between actresses Sue Nichols and Helen Worth who play mother and daughter - or lack of. The pair first joined the cobbles in the 70s as mother and daughter Audrey Roberts and Gail Platt.

A local union leader says he believes council workers in Falkirk are ready and willing to strike after being offered a two per cent pay rise despite the cost of living crisis.

Scots influencer Jilly Cross has shown off her outrageous sunburn as she holidays in Mexico.

Road safety measures will continue to be driven forward after the number of collisions almost doubled in Dumfries and Galloway over the past 12 months.

Council bosses have been accused of “blackmail” over claims an inflation-linked pay rise for staff risks 20,000 jobs.

Steve Clarke has reacted to Armenia fans throwing bottles towards Lewis Ferguson, the Scotland boss claiming he was more concerned with that than with handbags between the players.