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I do not have confidence UK is safe from Russian threats, says Swinney

BBC News

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. First Minister John Swinney says he does not have confidence the UK is safe from potential Russian threats. The SNP leader said the UK government, which is in charge of Britain's defences, did not have a sufficient presence in vulnerable areas off Scotland's coast. He said he was very worried by security fears highlighted this week by the head of MI5, Sir Ken McCallum, who named Russia as aggressor number one. Speaking to BBC Scotland News ahead of the SNP's annual conference, Swinney also denied that independence would weaken Scotland's security.


'Dark day for Lewis' as one fisherman dead and two missing

BBC News

Police say a body has been found in the search for three men who were onboard a fishing boat that has gone missing off the Western Isles. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the alarm was raised at about 21:20 on Tuesday when it emerged the boat was overdue from Lewis. A plane, two helicopters, two lifeboats and volunteers were making searches off the Port of Ness in north Lewis. Local councillor Kenneth Macleod said it was a very dark day for islanders, and their thoughts were with the families of the three men. Police Scotland said: The body of one of the men has been recovered, however formal identification is yet to take place.


Elderly residents of tiny Scottish island just uncovered a medieval monastery

Popular Science

The sixth century monastery on the remote Isle of Lismore played an important role in medieval Scotland. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. The Isle of Lismore in northwest Scotland is only slightly bigger than Key West and far less populated. This 14th century castle, Castle Stalker, is some 800 years younger than the monastery local residents found on the remote isle. About 100 miles northwest of Edinburgh in a rural corner of Scotland sits a tiny island with only 190 residents.


Why are data centres such a big deal in Scotland?

BBC News

Why are data centres such a big deal in Scotland? Every time you ask ChatGPT a question, read a Google summary or make an online bank payment, a data centre is working behind the scenes. Now Scotland is part of a global race to build many more of them - on a massive scale. The explosion in artificial intelligence (AI) over the past few years has seen tech firms scrambling to build new hyperscale data centres, including some which would rank among the biggest in the world. Plans are in place to build at least 23 giant AI-powered data centres.


Radical change needed to cut Scottish child poverty, says charity

BBC News

Scotland is on course to miss legally-binding targets to cut child poverty by a wide margin, according to a report from a leading social reform charity. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said one in five children was in poverty and radical change was needed to put the Scottish government's pledges back on track. It urged ministers to craft a much bolder and properly-funded plan to reduce poverty by rewiring local government, public services and the tax system. The Scottish government said it had made great strides, with its policies keeping 100,000 children out of poverty this year, but accepted there was more to do. In 2017, MSPs passed a law requiring ministers to hit four targets, external, including pushing the share of children in relative poverty below 10% by 2030.


Barrecore and Boom Cycle owner suddenly shuts studios

BBC News

The fitness company behind high-end exercise classes Barrecore, Boom Cycle, and Kobox has suddenly shut all its studios. Common Bond emailed customers announcing its locations, all of which are currently in London, were closed until further notice. The firm describes itself as a wellness collective and charges £2,400 for 12 months of unlimited classes. It also runs Reformcore and Triyoga brands and said in August last year it had ten sites. Its website is no longer publicly accessible.


Iran's president tells Trump it will never 'bend the knee'

BBC News

Iran's president tells Trump it will never'bend the knee' Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has told the UN General Assembly that it will never bend the knee after almost seven months of war with the US and Israel, but is ready for a diplomatic solution to the conflict. Responding to US President Donald Trump's threat to annihilate the Islamic Republic if a deal is not reached soon, Pezeshkian said: He must know that the resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, increased pressure, increased bullying. He also insisted any deal would have to include an end to the US blockade of Iranian ships and ports. It cannot be the case that everyone benefits from the Strait of Hormuz while we are denied access, he said. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and gas shipments usually pass, has effectively been closed since the start of the war in late February due to Iranian missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels and the US blockade.


Trump reveals millions of dollars' worth of share deals in big tech and AI

BBC News

Trump reveals millions of dollars' worth of share deals in big tech and AI US President Donald Trump has disclosed millions of dollars' worth of stock market trades made during July, including in firms from Elon Musk's SpaceX to tech and AI giants such as Microsoft. According to official documents, between $6.5m (£4.8m) and $31m worth of stock in Microsoft was sold on behalf of Trump, while they show purchases of between $165,000 and $400,000. Across more than 1,000 trades, shares were bought and sold in AI company Nvidia and software firm Palantir, a contractor with the US defence department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the filing shows. A White House spokesperson said Trump's stock and bond portfolio is independently managed by third parties. The spokesperson told the BBC: Neither President Trump nor any member of his family has any ability to direct, influence or provide input regarding how the portfolio is invested or when investments are bought or sold.


Admiral insurance firm to cut 500 jobs in the UK

BBC News

Insurer Admiral will cut 500 jobs in the UK to save £100m, it has announced. The proposals are related to Admiral's UK insurance business only, and will affect about 5% of its workforce. We recognise this will be a difficult time for affected colleagues, said Alistair Hargreaves, Admiral Insurance UK's chief executive . While the Cardiff-based company uses artificial intelligence (AI) in its operations, adoption of AI is not believed to be responsible for these changes. Admiral said the job cuts would make the firm faster and more efficient.


Off sick? You need to phone your boss, back-to-work adviser says

BBC News

People off sick from work should keep in phone contact with their boss, government-appointed back-to-work expert Sir Charlie Mayfield has said. Getting bosses and workers to have a conversation, rather than simply exchanging emails and sicknotes, could help get people back into work, Sir Charlie, who is leading the Keep Britain Working taskforce, said. His latest report said health-related economic inactivity was costing Britain around £210bn a year in benefit payments and lost output. Talking on the phone was just one piece of the jigsaw he said on Wednesday. The report calls for more workplace support, external for people with health conditions and disabilities and the establishment of a Workplace Health System alongside the NHS.