The Presiding Officer has announced that the Scottish Parliament is to be recalled on Monday 12 April following the death of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. A motion of condolence will be the only item of business.
Announcing the recall, the Rt Hon Ken Macintosh said: “I have decided that the Parliament should be recalled to show our respect to the Duke of Edinburgh following today’s sad announcement.
“His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, lived a life dedicated to duty and public service and his support for this institution was clear.
“This is why I have taken the decision to recall in order that we may take the time to pause, remember and pay tribute to his work.”
The meeting will take place tomorrow – Monday 12 April at 11am.
Further details of the motion and the detailed timings will follow, but te format is likely to see contributions from each of the party leaders.
This will be the sixth time the Scottish Parliament has been recalled.
Most recently it was recalled on 4 January to discuss the ongoing Covid emergency.
The other recalls were as follows:
• 13 October 2000 – Death of Donald Dewar, First Minister • 3 April 2002 – Death of HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother • 24 August 2009 – Ministerial Statement on the release of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi • 30 December 2020 – Debate on the trade and co-operation agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
Keeping Healthy After Easter
The Easter weekend marks the end of Lent, along with the exchange of chocolate eggs with family and friends. It is therefore easy to see why it may be hard to maintain good habits both during and following the Easter weekend, as many of us tuck into the chocolate we have received and begin to once again enjoy what we gave up over Lent.
Yet research indicates that it can take around 66 days to develop a long-term habit and therefore the 40 day Lent period offers a great base for developing a positive life-long habit.
With this in mind, here are some tips for doing just that:
Allow Yourself Occasional Indulgences
It’s easy to feel disheartened when we relapse from a positive habit but creating a positive relationship with food is all about moderation and therefore the occasional indulgences shouldn’t be seen as a problem
Return to Your Habit As Soon as Possible
The longer we maintain a habit, the more ‘ingrained’ it becomes. If we are able to return to our habit straight away, we are more likely to continue it going forwards
Consider What Worked for You
Everyone is different and therefore the method used for creating a long-term habit will be different for everyone. Think about what led to your success over Lent, perhaps it was planning and preparation, changing your environment or taking on the challenge with a frend
Use Up Spare Chocolate
Perhaps you would like to continue to eat healthily following the Easter Break, but you just have too much chocolate left over! Visit our website for ideas on how you can use up that spare chocolate, or perhaps consider giving it away
Think Rationally
Sometimes, our thinking patterns can work against us and we can start to think things like ‘I’ve ruined it now’ or ‘there’s no point carrying on’. Consider if these kinds of thoughts are helpful or rational and challenge them, as sometimes this can be the difference between maintaining and relapsing.
Councillor Adam McVey has outlined the action plan being put in place to prevent repeats of recent anti-social behaviour in the Meadows.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “Following the appalling scenes at the Meadows last weekend we’ve been working closely with colleagues in Police Scotland to address the issues and put in place an action plan that will drive home the message that this anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated.
“It’s not just about preventing a repeat of what we saw last weekend but also tackling the various issues recently reported in the park and neighbouring streets. Everyone should remember that it’s currently illegal under the Coronavirus regulations to drink alcohol in public spaces.
“This weekend and over the coming weeks there will be additional patrols by our Park Rangers and Street and Environment Enforcement Officers who will hand out black bags, give advice on litter management and if necessary issue fines. There will also be increased presence of police officers and the Council’s CCTV resources to ensure the safety of everyone enjoying the park.
“It’s important that everybody takes responsibility for their behaviour in our parks and considers fellow visitors to the park and neighbouring residents. Our parks have been hugely important to residents of the city throughout the last year and continue to be. We’re determined that the actions of a reckless minority will not spoil it for the majority and through our action plan we’ll ensure the Meadows can be enjoyed safely.”
Council actions include:
The Council CCTV van will be deployed over the course of the weekend to provide a visible deterrent to any anti-social behaviour and to assist in gathering evidence if required.
Mobile CCTV cameras will be deployed to hotspots for street urination and defecation, with signs in place to warn against this behaviour.
The public toilets will continue to remain open until 8pm over the course of the weekend
Park Rangers and Street and Environment Enforcement Officers will be patrolling the Meadows to hand out black bags and advice on litter management. In addition, enforcement action will be taken (in the form of Fixed Penalty Notices) where littering offences are witnessed.
There will be increased street cleansing teams in the Meadows to carry out more regular litter picking. Regular inspections of the litter bins will take place throughout the day and additional emptying will take place if required.
Facebook to make it harder for people to find groups and profiles that buy and sell fake reviews
16,000 trading groups removed with suspensions or bans for users who create these groups
it comes after CMA investigation found more evidence of misleading content
This latest action by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) follows reports that fake and misleading reviews continued to be bought and sold on the social media platforms.
In January 2020, Facebook committed to better identify, investigate and remove groups and other pages where fake and misleading reviews were being traded, and prevent them from reappearing.
Facebook gave a similar pledge in relation to its Instagram.com business in May 2020, after the CMA had identified similar concerns.
A follow-up investigation found evidence that the illegal trade in fake reviews was still taking place on both Facebook and Instagram and the CMA intervened for a second time.
Facebook has now removed a further 16,000 groups that were dealing in fake and misleading reviews. It has also made further changes to its systems for identifying, removing and preventing such content on its social media platforms to ensure it is fulfilling its previous commitments.
These include:
suspending or banning users who are repeatedly creating Facebook groups and Instagram profiles that promote, encourage or facilitate fake and misleading reviews
introducing new automated processes that will improve the detection and removal of this content
making it harder for people to use Facebook’s search tools to find fake and misleading review groups and profiles on Facebook and Instagram
putting in place dedicated processes to make sure that these changes continue to work effectively and stop the problems from reappearing
Andrea Coscelli, Chief Executive of the CMA, said: “Never before has online shopping been so important. The pandemic has meant that more and more people are buying online, and millions of us read reviews to enable us to make informed choices when we shop around.
“That’s why fake and misleading reviews are so damaging – if people lose trust in online reviews, they are less able to shop around with confidence, and will miss out on the best deals. It also means that businesses playing by the rules miss out.
“Facebook has a duty to do all it can to stop the trading of such content on its platforms. After we intervened again, the company made significant changes – but it is disappointing it has taken them over a year to fix these issues.
“We will continue to keep a close eye on Facebook, including its Instagram business. Should we find it is failing to honour its commitments, we will not hesitate to take further action.”
This move follows the UK Government’s announcement that a dedicated Digital Markets Unit (DMU) will be set up within the CMA from April 2021.
Once the necessary legislation is in place, this will introduce and enforce a new code for governing the behaviour of platforms that currently dominate the market. As part of this process, the CMA has been advising government on the design and implementation of a pro-competition regime for digital markets.
Rocio Concha, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Which?, said:“We’ve previously raised the alarm about fake review factories continuing to operate at scale on Facebook, leaving online shoppers at huge risk of being misled. The tech giant failed to meet its earlier commitment to the CMA, so it is positive that the regulator has stepped in and demanded more robust action.
“Facebook must deliver this time round – it has shown it has the sophisticated technology to eradicate these misleading review groups and needs to do so much more swiftly and effectively.
“The CMA and Facebook now need to monitor the situation and if the problems persist the regulator must take stronger measures to ensure that trust in online reviews does not continue to be undermined.
“Online platforms should also have greater legal responsibility for tackling fake and fraudulent content and activity on their sites.”
Consumer champion Which? is warning holidaymakers to hold off booking trips abroad until more details become clear.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said:“Millions of people will be excited to know their next holiday abroad might not be too far off, but the current guidance leaves too many questions unanswered about important aspects of foreign travel – so we would advise consumers to hold off on booking a holiday until the details become clearer.
“Apart from not knowing where we can go and when, the government has also warned that countries will be moved between green, amber and red. Until it details how these changes will take place, consumers face the risk of 10 days quarantine and paying for additional tests, or worse, having to pay £1,750 for hotel quarantine.
“There also remain questions over what the total cost of testing will be for trips, which currently runs into the hundreds of pounds, and what steps will be taken to ensure testing is affordable and accessible. It is vital that the government provides clarity on these issues before people think about parting with their money.”
Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, has announced the launch of its first-ever ‘Not Your Average Gardener’ awards, to find the best and most dedicated gardeners from Edinburgh and beyond.
Dobbies is looking to reward gardeners from Edinburgh for their creativity and commitment to making the UK a brighter place through their gardens and is encouraging the public to get involved and nominate the talented people in their lives. Whether it’s a family member, friend, neighbour or even themselves, the competition is open to amateur gardeners across the country.
Categories include Best Community Gardener, Best Mini Garden Makeover and Most Instagrammable Garden. Young gardeners are also being encouraged to get involved and submit entries for Best Young Gardener, for under-16s, and Best Little Seedling for those aged 10 and under.
There’s also a category dedicated to finding Dobbies’ Best New Gardener 2021, with novice gardeners urged to enter and showcase their newly-honed skills.
The awards will be judged by gardener, journalist and Dobbies’ podcast host Louise Midgely, and Dobbies’ Horticultural Director, Marcus Eyles.
Entries can be submitted via the Dobbies’ website, with winners being awarded £250 to spend in Dobbies’ Edinburgh store, plus a one-to-one gardening consultation with the judges to advise them on how to maximise their garden in 2021 and beyond.
According to research conducted by the Horticultural Trades Association, three million people took up gardening in 2020, and Dobbies wants to recognise and celebrate these new gardeners, while highlighting the many benefits that gardening can offer.
Marcus Eyles, Horticulture Director at Dobbies, said: “Gardening has proven benefits for our health and wellbeing and at Dobbies, we’re delighted to see so many more people getting involved with gardening over the past year.
“These awards will allow us to celebrate those who love gardening and those who show promise as potential gardening superstars. We look forward to seeing all of the wonderful gardens from entrants in Edinburgh.”
The competition is open until 28 May 2021.
To enter or make a nomination, visit the Dobbies’ website and complete a simple form. All nominations will be reviewed by the judges, with prizes being awarded for the winners in each category during a virtual awards ceremony in the summer.
The Scottish FA has welcomedconfirmation from UEFA that Hampden Park will be able to host its four EURO 2020 matches with supporters in attendance.
The LOS Glasgow submission of a maximum 25% capacity for the national stadium (approximately 12,000 supporters under the EURO 2020 stadium configuration) has now been approved.
Plans for a Fan Zone in the city are also still under consideration with a decision anticipated at the end of the month.
The announcement is the culmination of a significant period of partnership work undertaken by the Scottish FA, Glasgow Life (on behalf of Glasgow City Council) and the Scottish Government, along with fellow LOS Glasgow members, Police Scotland and Visit Scotland.
Rod Petrie, Chair of LOS Glasgow and Scottish FA President: “We are thankful to UEFA for recognising the efforts of our LOS Glasgow partners in establishing a safe and manageable way in which supporters can attend the three group matches and Round of 16 tie at Hampden Park.
“I am also grateful to the Scottish Ministers and clinical experts for their assistance and ultimate approval in signing-off on the proposal that has today been endorsed by UEFA.
“An enormous amount of effort has gone into the submission but also in ensuring Glasgow and Hampden Park is ready to welcome supporters, not least with Scotland having secured qualification.
“We acknowledge UEFA’s timeline for ticket returns and will communicate updates to Scotland fans at those key dates.”
UEFA will be issuing an email to all ticket holders shortly to advise on the returns process for those fans who decide not to travel and next steps.
The House of Commons will next meet on Monday at 2.30pm, following the announcement of the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The Scottish Parliament will also reconvene on Monday.
The Scottish Parliament’s flags are flying at half-mast following the death of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.
Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh said: “On behalf of the Scottish Parliament I would like to extend our sincere condolences to Her Majesty The Queen and to the Royal Family following the death of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.
“The Duke of Edinburgh accompanied Her Majesty The Queen on each of her visits to the Scottish Parliament since 1999. Their unwavering support for this institution and The Duke’s unwavering support to Her Majesty were clear for all to see and his loss will be deeply felt.”
Jog for Jugs, a new campaign aimed at raising awareness and money for breast cancer officially launches today (Saturday 10th April) in a bid to encourage men, women and non-binary individuals to check themselves so that cancers can be caught and treated early.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1380777723744899074
A star-studded, tongue-in-cheek, video to promote the campaign, introduced by the nation’s sweetheart, Lorraine Kelly and featuring other Scottish personalities including model Emma-Louise Connolly, actress Joanna Vanderham and presenter Lee McKenzie, has been released to mark the launch.
Inspired by her mum’s courageous response to her own breast cancer diagnosis last August, Dundonian, Becky Chapple hopes to encourage others to check themselves regularly and seek medical support straight away if anything feels abnormal.
Becky commented: “Throughout the pandemic, fewer and fewer people have been visiting the doctor when they find concerning changes to their boobs or pecs which is a real and worrying problem.
“Jog for Jugs is our small way of first and foremost encouraging everyone to check themselves, then jogging or walking 8km to raise vital funds for CoppaFeel!, a brilliant charity which raises awareness of breast cancer in young people and the importance of early detection.”
Jog for Jugs will be promoted across social media, with participants encouraged to jog or walk 8km, donate £8 to CoppaFeel!, check their boobs or pecs and nominate 8 friends to do the same by sharing a selfie of themselves with their hand on their chest and tagging their pals’ social handles.
The number ‘8’ symbolizes the devastating statistic that 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
Becky added: “While we are, of course, hoping to raise some vital funds for CoppaFeel! the campaign is more about awareness than anything else.
“We want people to know all of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, and we specifically want to dispel the myth that if lumps are painful, they’re unlikely to be cancerous – any unusual changes are worth getting checked out.
“My family feel very fortunate that mum discovered her cancer early and we want to give everyone else the chance to do the same by spotting any changes in their boobs and seeking medical advice, regardless of lockdown.”
CoppaFeel! aims to ensure that all breast cancers are diagnosed at the earliest stage possible by educating people on the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, encouraging them to check regularly and instilling the confidence to seek medical referral if they detect abnormalities.
Currently 5% of diagnosed cases are already at stage IV with breast cancer being the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women under 30 in the UK (181 new cases diagnosed and 12 deaths annually). CoppaFeel! is the third most recognized breast cancer charity amongst young people and those aware of CoppaFeel! are 58% more likely to check their boobs regularly than those not aware.
The charity’s recent research showing that a worrying 2 in 5 young people are avoiding contact with the NHS due to coronavirus, prove that normalising chest checking and empowering young people to speak to their doctors about any concerns has never been more important.
Katie from CoppaFeel!, commented, “We are thrilled to be supported by the Jog For Jugs campaign. The work that Becky and her friends in the team have put into this project is truly inspirational, and the awareness and funds it will raise in aid of CoppaFeel! will help us in our mission to stamp out the late detection of breast cancer.
“The generous support of everyone involved will make a huge difference to our work in educating and empowering young people. After such a trying year, it is important now more than ever tospread awareness of the importance of getting to know your body, checking regularly and speaking to your GP if you notice any concerning changes.”
To donate to the Jog For Jugs Campaign please visit:
Sunnier areas associated with fewer Covid-19 deaths, Edinburgh University study suggests
Increased exposure to the sun’s rays – specifically UVA – could act as a simple public health intervention if further research establishes it causes a reduction in mortality rates, experts say.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh compared all recorded deaths from Covid-19 in the continental US from January to April 2020 with UV levels for 2,474 US counties for the same time period.
UVA exposure
The study found that people living in areas with the highest level of exposure to UVA rays – which makes up 95 per cent of the sun’s UV light – had a lower risk of dying from Covid-19 compared with those with lower levels. The analysis was repeated in England and Italy with the same results.
The researchers took into account factors known to be associated with increased exposure to the virus and risk of death such as age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, population density, air pollution, temperature and levels of infection in local areas.
The observed reduction in risk of death from Covid-19 could not be explained by higher levels of vitamin D, the experts said. Only areas, with insufficient levels of UVB to produce significant vitamin D in the body, were included in the study.
Nitric oxide
One explanation for the lower number of deaths, which the researchers are following up, is that sunlight exposure causes the skin to release nitric oxide. This may reduce the ability of SARS Coronavirus2 – the cause of Covid-19 – to replicate, as has been found in some lab studies.
Previous research from the same group has shown that increased sunlight exposure is linked to improved cardiovascular health, with lower blood pressure and fewer heart attacks. As heart disease is a known risk factor in dying from Covid-19, this could also explain the latest findings.
The team say due to the observational nature of the study it is not possible to establish cause and effect. However, it may lead to interventions that could be tested as potential treatments.
The paper has been published in the British Journal of Dermatology, an official publication of the British Association of Dermatologists.
Dr Richard Weller, Consultant dermatologist and Reader at the University of Edinburgh, said: “There is still so much we don’t understand about Covid-19, which has resulted in so many deaths worldwide.
“These early results open up sunlight exposure as one way of potentially reducing the risk of death.”
Professor Chris Dibben, Chair in Health Geography at the University of Edinburgh, said: “The relationship between Covid-19 mortality, season and latitude has been quite striking; here we offer an alternative explanation for this phenomenon.“
