Scottish Government launches new £250 benefit for young people starting work

Aberdeen council leader claimed Glasgow escaped a harsher lockdown because it is a "Yes city". Tory Douglas Lumsden suggested it all came down to independence and central belt bias in an angry backlash on social media after Nicola Sturgeon imposed restrictions on the city.

has written an open letter for parents with answers about when children need to be tested for coronavirus. He said that it is common for colds and similar viral infections to circulate in schools after a long break.

house parties this weekend to help protect older relatives from lethal Covid-19. Nicola Sturgeon and Scotland's top police officer made a joint plea as new laws come into force to ban large gatherings indoors.

jobs crisis.The former PM said Boris Johnson is "blissfully unaware" of the need to reach out to devolved administrations.

harassment to a woman who went on to lodge a complaint against Alex Salmond. Senior official Nicola Richards told MSPs under oath that a draft was shared in late 2017 before the policy was changed to include the conduct of former ministers.

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

Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our personalised newsletter.A paisley teenager, who amassed more than 700,000 followers on social media, says being named a Young Scot Award finalist is “her proudest moment”.Kristen, who is a massive star on the video sharing website TikTok, says being shortlisted for the entertainment award has been the pinnacle of what has so far been an exceptional career.The 15 year old lost out on the top award to actor Ncuti Gatwa from

“A lot of hard work goes into the strikes, there have been many stressful meetings and difficult times balancing climate activism with our personal lives, so I’m really happy our efforts are being recognised on this scale.

coronavirus in Scotland, such as the recent outbreak of the virus in Aberdeen.The proposed ban on music in hospitality venues has received criticism over the weekend, with Sneaky Pete’s owner Nick Stewart calling the ruling “misguided” and arguing that a total ban on music will “only drive people to seek music in uncontrolled environments instead, such as house parties”.“A music ban is not safer than having properly controlled background music,” Stewart, who also works for the Music Venue Trust

12 years of a life sentence.Jahche Broughton is making a bid for freedom after being locked up for battering Karen Aim to death with a baseball bat in January 2008 as she visited Taupo on a trip around New Zealand.After he was sentenced, Karen’s family vowed to fight to keep Broughton behind bars for his whole life.Two years ago, her dad Brian said he would campaign against any bid for freedom “for the safety of the public in New Zealand”.He added: “If he’s released, he’ll be 26 and that is just

house parties. Anyone under the age of 25 with less than three positive ratings will be banned from renting entire listings close to where they live.

Lewis Capaldi has revealed that he is taking a well-earned break and plans to release his new music in 2021.

Kenny MacAskill has criticised the Scottish Government for “failing” to hand over all the papers in the Alex Salmond probe. MacAskill rejected claims some information had to be censored and backed a Holyrood committee’s demands for full disclosure.

Scots woman has told how she underwent chemically induced menopause after suffering the excruciating pain of endometriosis since the age of 11.Rachel Currie fought for over a decade to be diagnosed after experiencing pain she described as “like being stabbed in the stomach” on a regular basis.The 25-year-old finally received a diagnosis of endometriosis - a long-term condition affecting one in 10 women in the UK where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places, such

schools across Scotland begin to return after lockdown there are major changes in place for parents, pupils and staff. While individual school rules, start days and times will vary from place to place, the Scottish Government have published a full list of guidelines which schools must follow, but what exactly are they? The Scottish Government say the guidance is "designed to support a safe return to school for all children, young people and staff".

limit freedom of expression.The comedy legend has joined more than 20 prominent cultural figures in signing a letter which calls on Holyrood ministers to make significant changes to the new legislation.Artists who have previously backed independence are also among those to sign, including crime writer Val McDermid, actress Elaine C Smith, and playwright Alan Bissett.Justice secretary Humza Yousaf has said the Hate Crime bill would strike the right balance between respecting freedom of speech and

NHS heroes deserve to have their pay looked at, say Scottish Labour. The party called for talks ahead of a planned protest by health and social care workers in Glasgow today.

the crisis facing the country. A report produced today by the Scottish Government's economic advisory group - chaired by ex-Tesco Bank boss Benny Higgins - suggested prioritising business plans to deliver "a green recovery".