Huge 'sturgeon moon' will light up the night sky in Scotland tonight

coronavirus in the last 24 hours in Scotland - the highest rise in cases since May 16.But there have now been no new deaths related to the killer virus since July. Latest figures show the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases across the country now stands at 15,096.

Nicola Sturgeon has made a renewed call for the UK Government to extend the furlough scheme beyond October amid fears unemployment will rocket when it is removed. The First Minister said the Treasury should follow the example of France and Germany by extending economic support for businesses which were forced to close during lockdown.

Nicola Sturgeon has said she was not aware of female civil servants being advised not be alone with her predecessor Alex Salmond.But she said MSPs probing the Scottish Government’s handling of sexual harassment allegations made against the former first minster were “perfectly entitled” to take up this issue.She vowed she was “absolutely committed to fully complying with the inquiry”.Her comments came after concerns were raised about “huge swathes” of information provided by the Scottish

Nicola Sturgeon has said Scotland is not in the midst of a second coronavirus wave despite a recent spike in cases. The First Minister said at the Scottish Government's briefing on Wednesday that the increase - from two daily cases in early July to 50 in the most recent figures - is a "spike in the first wave".She added it is not clear if there will be a second wave of the virus.

Join thousands of others and get the latest Scottish politics news sent straight to your inbox every Friday.Nicola Sturgeon said there are no outbreaks of coronavirus in primary schools after concerns pupils were testing positive.The First Minister confirmed more cases since the return to class full time in Scotland last week, but said they were linked to communities rather than schools."We are not seeing outbreaks in primary schools, we are seeing individual cases of primary school aged

pupils contracting Covid-19 is inevitable, Nicola Sturgeon has said. The First Minister spoke about the clusters of the virus across the country, including those affecting schools, at the Scottish Government's coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh on Tuesday.

The Rolling Stones have topped Billboard’s new Money Makers list of the highest-paid musicians in America.The Start Me Up hitmakers edged out Ariana Grande for the top spot with an estimated $63 million 2019 haul.Revealing the list on Monday (August 17, 2020), a Billboard spokesman says, “The rock ‘n’ roll legends secured the top spot as the top live band of the year in the United States, taking home $65 million for the year.

local schools. Despite best intentions, a situation was created where an unacceptable number of our young people felt trapped and that education was not a route out of poverty.The Scottish Government listened to the exemplary campaigning of pupils, their parents and teachers, and are now putting it right.

school results scandal.The First Minister praised Professor Mark Priestley, who came out for the SNP at the general election, for his skills and experience and said he is the right person for the job.Education Secretary John Swinney this week made a u-turn after confirming that around 120,000 downgraded results would be reversed following a backlash by pupils and parents.Get all the top Scottish politics news sent straight to your Inbox by signing up to our Politics newsletter.We cover Holyrood,

SNP is on course for a crushing victory at the next Holyrood election, according to a new poll.  The snapshot found the Nationalists on 57% in first-past-the-post constituencies, which would help the SNP secure a sizeable majority.  In another boost for Nicola Sturgeon, support for independence stands at 53%, which is in line with recent polls.

pupils across Scotland caught up in an exams fiasco which penalised pupils in poorer communities.The First Minister made the significant apology days after pupils protested and calls were made for Education Secretary John Swinney to resign.At her regular briefing, Sturgeon said: "I do acknowledge that we did not get this right and I am sorry for that."The U-turn comes after defending a system brought in to grade pupils who were unable to sit normal exams because of the Covid-19 health

Nicola Sturgeon has said it is "bonkers" for people to question her commitment to Scottish independence as she confirmed her intention to stand in next year's Holyrood election. The First Minister also stated she would serve another full term if elected in the 2021 vote for the Scottish Parliament.

Covid cases has broken out in the Greater Glasgow area. The First Minister said there were 17 confirmed cases in Scotland's largest health board yesterday - which includes the city as well as the neighbouring council areas of Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.

coronavirus deaths registered in Scotland but 67 new positive cases have been confirmed. The total number of positive cases is now 18, 847 according to the latest Scottish Government released figures.

Nicola Sturgeon has said all pupils who are unhappy with their exam results will be able to appeal them for free as the Scottish Government faced mounting criticism over how grades were awarded. For the first time in more than 130 years, Scottish youngsters did not sit down for exams in May as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

bars and restaurants could face a “further shutdown” if Scots do not abide by strict public safety rules.The First Minister said pictures of a large queue outside an Aberdeen bar had made her want to cry.A key part of the Government’s policy of coming out of lockdown involved the reopening of pubs and restaurants.Get all the top Scottish politics news sent straight to your Inbox by signing up to our Politics newsletter.We cover Holyrood, Westminster and local councils, with a current focus on

pub too often after alarm at a rise in coronavirus cases.Around half of the latest positive cases of Covid-19 were among people in their 20s and 30s.First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the levels are a reason for caution, while other parts of the world have also seen infection rates among young people surge.At a coronavirus briefing on Friday, Sturgeon said "nobody can safely get Covid", despite the disease causing more fatalities among older people.Urging people to "stick rigidly" to the latest

Residents in Greater Manchester have been told to 'cancel' any plans to visit Scotland.The message from Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Friday (July 31), came just 12 hours after it was announced more than four million people will face tougher lockdown restrictions, including in parts of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire.Scottish people are advised to avoid travel to areas in northern England facing the new tougher restrictions after a spike in coronavirus cases.Travel between

coronavirus cases.The warning against non-essential travel also applies to anyone in affected areas, including Manchester, who had plans to visit Scotland.First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the restrictions in the most significant step back to lockdown since the height of the pandemic in the UK.Sturgeon said: "I'm grateful to the Prime Minister for the update on the recent developments in the north west of England and all four nations agreed on the importance of sharing localised

Nicola Sturgeon has announced that pupils will be in the classroom full-time when schools return next month.Pupils will begin to return from August 11 and all young people will be back in full-time education by August 18.In a statement to Holyrood this afternoon the First Minister did say that some local authorities may opt for phased return but all pupils will have returned to school by August 18.A Scottish Government report reads: "The expectation is that all schools will reopen by August 11,