Day: January 12, 2026

Edinburgh Zoo appoints Sodexo Live! as catering and hospitality partner

With a food and beverage plan built around conservation, community, and engagement, early priorities to be delivered by the team will focus on improving quality and consistency across the site, refreshing menus with seasonal produce in collaboration with local suppliers, and embedding a service culture that mirrors the zoo’s educational and conservation values. 

Adding to the list of iconic Sodexo Live! client partners across Scotland, including V&A Dundee, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Signet Library and Hampden Park, this collaboration will celebrate and strengthen the zoo’s unique identity, making food and drink an integral part of its story. 

Claire Morris, CEO of Sodexo Live! UK & Ireland, said: “Edinburgh Zoo is a world-class visitor attraction, and this partnership gives us the unique opportunity to really transform the catering offering to reflect RZSS’s vision.

“By positioning Edinburgh Zoo as a place of global exploration and education – a living classroom for all – we want to create a sense of culinary adventure and discovery through exciting, diverse global flavours aligned to the animals’ natural habitats.

“We want our food to be more than just a service – we want it to add joy and make visitors’ zoo experience even more immersive and meaningful.” 

Ben Supple, RZSS Deputy Chief Executive, said: “We want to provide visitors to Edinburgh Zoo with the very best experience as this will encourage more people to learn about and protect our natural world.

“Catering is an essential part of that and we are looking forward to working in partnership with the Sodexo Live! and Heritage Portfolio team to develop an exceptional offer which celebrates local, high quality and sustainable produce.”

The collaboration represents a truly local partnership, combining extensive Scottish hospitality knowledge with RZSS’s mission to ‘protect, value and love nature.’ Inspired by the zoo’s animals and their habitats, a ‘Feeding Natural Curiosity’ philosophy will be implemented, guiding menu development, emphasising global flavours, from-scratch cooking, zero-waste initiatives, and community partnerships. 

Sodexo Live! supports some of the UK’s most iconic music, cultural and sporting events, plus conference centres and airport lounges, by delivering world class hospitality and food services. Producing outstanding catering and event services, it serves some of the most prestigious venues across Britain, delivering amazing experiences that go beyond the remarkable food it creates.

Globally, partners include The Scottish Open, Royal Ascot, the Tour de France, and exceptional venues such as the Eiffel Tower Restaurants, the Royal Academy of Arts in London, Hard Rock Stadium, and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. 

For more information see  www.sodexolive.co.uk   

European Movement in Scotland: Political heavyweights limber up for rejoin EU debate at Glasgow Uni

SNP’s Alyn Smith leads for rejoin while Political scientist Dr. Michael Scanlan opposes motion

Two heavyweight political thinkers will go head-to-head on Friday 16th January when they debate the motion ‘that Scotland and the UK should rejoin the European Union.‘

Leading in support of the motion is former SNP MP and MEP Alyn Smith. Glasgow University political scientist Dr. Michael Scanlan will oppose the proposition.

The debate has been organised by Glasgow University Dialectical Society. Several of its student members will speak respectively for and against the motion.

The debate was proposed and is being supported by the European Movement in Scotland (EMiS). Alyn Smith, who is a vice-president of EMiS, says: “There are undergraduates at universities across the UK who were still in primary school when the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016.

“They were not given a vote or a voice. They didn’t get to engage in the arguments for Remain or Leave. The debate at Glasgow University Union will help to engage a new generation in the case for Europe.”

Colson Merrill, Convener of Debates, says that Glasgow University has a global reputation for its debating. “Our debates are famous for the quality of the oratory and the expertise and intellectual grasp of speakers, both guests and students.

“Part of our tradition is that we encourage speakers to be respectful of their opponents. Speakers who deeply understand their subject and deploy facts, logic and humour are usually the most persuasive.”

Erasmus returns

Following sustained campaigning by organisations including EMiS, the London government announced in early December that the UK will rejoin the Erasmus + scheme. The Erasmus student exchange scheme was previously mainly accessed by students in higher education.

However, Erasmus will now be open to young people from a wide range of education, training courses and jobs, including apprentices and those in specialist training, including agriculture and sport, and people with disabilities.

David Clarke, chair of EMiS says: “The UK returning to Erasmus is very welcome. Our young people deserve to live in a Scotland and a UK where they can benefit from being Europeans.”

Miller Homes supports Edinburgh United Football Club 2013 with funding boost

Miller Homes Scotland East is supporting Edinburgh United Football Club 2013 with its Community Fund initiative by donating £1,000. 

Since launching in 2022, the Community Fund has made a meaningful difference to local communities across Scotland, awarding £344,000 in grants to 538 organisations. The initiative has helped a wide range of projects, from supporting foodbanks, sports teams, music groups and creative spaces. 

So far in 2025 Community Fund has supported seventeen groups across Scotland with a share of £20,000, including Edinburgh United Foodball Club. Miller Homes’ donation to the group will go towards purchasing essential equipment and aiding team building activities.

Duncan Wright, head coach at Edinburgh United Football Club said: “Thanks to a generous £1,000 donation from Miller Homes, we can continue to provide our players with the equipment and support they need to develop both on and off the pitch.

“This funding will make a real difference to our team-building activities and overall experience for the players. We’re incredibly grateful for Miller Homes’ support and their commitment to football groups in the community.”

Neil Gaffney, Regional Sales Director for Miller Homes Scotland East, said: “We are delighted to be able to continually support causes within the communities that we have developments. It has become one of the most important things that we do at Miller Homes. 

“We’re thrilled to support Edinburgh United Football Club 2013. Grassroots clubs like this bring young people together, build teamwork, and create lasting memories. We’re pleased this funding will help provide essential equipment and support team-building activities, helping the players enjoy the game and thrive in their community.”

For more information on Miller Homes’ Community Fund and to find out when the next round of funding opens, visit www.millerhomes.co.uk/communityfund.

Letters: Scotland’s energy transition must reckon with U.S. moves in Venezuela – and minerals strategy in Greenland

Dhruva Kumar, Alba Party, Former MP Candidate writes that Scottish politics has finally woken up to the geopolitical crisis, yet remains oddly silent on an older story: how U.S. power behaves when oil and strategic resources are at stake:

Scotland speaks often about a just transition under the Labour Westminster government, yet we overlook the geopolitics that will shape it. Two arenas matter now: Venezuela, where U.S. sanctions flip-flops have jolted heavy‑crude supply, and Greenland, which banned new oil licensing but is pivotal to Western critical‑minerals and Arctic security strategies.

Greenland is the mirror image: in 2021, it ceased new oil and gas licensing, citing environmental and economic costs, yet has drawn stronger U.S./EU interest in rare earths and Arctic security.

From Venezuela to Greenland, Washington’s pattern is clear. In Venezuela, U.S. sanctions have evolved into direct control over who can sell the country’s oil and where the money goes – a shift from “regime change” to long-term management of another nation’s core resource. In Greenland, U.S. interest has moved beyond missile‑warning bases to a renewed diplomatic presence and a growing focus on minerals and rare earths as the Arctic ice retreats.​

Scotland sits at the intersection of those same pressures. The North Sea may be a mature basin, but billions of barrels of oil equivalent remain, and recent surges in revenues have reminded us how central these flows still are to our public finances. At the same time, the North Atlantic is militarily critical, Faslane anchors the UK’s nuclear deterrent, and Scotland’s offshore wind and marine resources are among Europe’s most valuable.​

Overlay that with Donald Trump. He is not just a sometime visitor with a tartan tie, but an owner of loss-making, debt-laden golf resorts at Menie and Turnberry that have relied on UK support schemes and opaque financing. He has waged a decade-long crusade against Scottish offshore wind, rhetoric that has since been exported into a wider global war on renewables from the White House. In Venezuela, he has been explicit about “taking” oil to reshape a country on U.S. terms; in Greenland, he floated outright acquisition in pursuit of strategic minerals.​

It would be naïve to assume Scotland is exempt from that mindset simply because we fly the Saltire. Our energy transition, our remaining oil and gas, and our critical geography all sit within the same mental map that links Caracas, Havana and Nuuk.​​

The question for Scotland is not whether tanks will roll up Union Street, but whether, in the next round of US–UK trade, security and energy deals, our future is quietly bargained away in boardrooms and back channels without a single Scottish voice in the room – as with the recent decisions involving Wick.​

It is time this angle was interrogated openly in our media before decisions are made for us, not by us.

Yours in shared ambition,

Dhruva Kumar

Ofcom launches investigation into X over Grok sexualised imagery

The UK’s independent online safety watchdog, Ofcom, has today opened a formal investigation into X under the UK’s Online Safety Act, to determine whether it has complied with its duties to protect people in the UK from content that is illegal in the UK.

Our initial assessment

There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people – which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography – and sexualised images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

 As the UK’s independent online safety watchdog, we urgently made contact with X on Monday 5 January and set a firm deadline of Friday 9 January for it to explain what steps it has taken to comply with its duties to protect its users in the UK.

The company responded by the deadline, and we carried out an expedited assessment of available evidence as a matter of urgency.

What our investigation will examine

Ofcom has decided to open a formal investigation to establish whether X has failed to comply with its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act – in particular, to: 

  • assess the risk of people in the UK seeing content that is illegal in the UK, and to carry out an updated risk assessment before making any significant changes to their service;
  • take appropriate steps to prevent people in the UK from seeing ‘priority’ illegal content – including non-consensual intimate images and CSAM;
  • take down illegal content swiftly when they become aware of it;
  • have regard to protecting users from a breach of privacy laws;
  • assess the risk their service poses to UK children, and to carry out an updated risk assessment before making any significant changes to their service; and
  • use highly effective age assurance to protect UK children from seeing pornography.

Ofcom’s role

The legal responsibility is on platforms to decide whether content breaks UK laws, and they can use our Illegal Content Judgements Guidance when making these decisions. Ofcom is not a censor – we do not tell platforms which specific posts or accounts to take down.

Our job is to judge whether sites and apps have taken appropriate steps to protect people in the UK from content that is illegal in the UK, and protect UK children from other content that is harmful to them, such as pornography.

Ofcom’s investigation process

The Online Safety Act sets out the process Ofcom must follow when investigating a company and deciding whether it has failed to comply with its legal obligations.

Our first step is to gather and analyse evidence to determine whether a breach has occurred. If, based on that evidence, we consider that a compliance failure has taken place, we will issue a provisional decision to the company, who will then have an opportunity to respond our findings in full, as required by the Act, before we make our final decision.

Enforcement powers

If our investigation finds that a company has broken the law, we can require platforms to take specific steps to come into compliance or to remedy harm caused by the breach. We can also impose fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater.

In the most serious cases of ongoing non-compliance, we can make an application to a court for ‘business disruption measures’, through which a court could impose an order, on an interim or full basis, requiring payment providers or advertisers to withdraw their services from a platform, or requiring internet service providers to block access to a site in the UK. The court may only impose such orders where appropriate and proportionate to prevent significant harm to individuals in the UK.

UK jurisdiction

In any industry, companies that want to provide a service to people in the UK must comply with UK laws. The UK’s Online Safety Act is concerned with protecting people in the UK. It does not require platforms to restrict what people in other countries can see.

There are ways platforms can protect people in the UK without stopping their users elsewhere in the world from continuing to see that content.

An Ofcom spokesperson said: “Reports of Grok being used to create and share illegal non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material on X have been deeply concerning.

“Platforms must protect people in the UK from content that’s illegal in the UK, and we won’t hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing in their duties, especially where there’s a risk of harm to children.

“We’ll progress this investigation as a matter of the highest priority, while ensuring we follow due process. As the UK’s independent online safety enforcement agency, it’s important we make sure our investigations are legally robust and fairly decided.”

Ofcom will provide an update on this investigation as soon as possible.

Delivering on social care

Investment creating jobs and providing for communities

Scotland’s Displaced Workers Scheme signals the type of country the government is working to create, according to First Minister John Swinney.

The £500,000 scheme is helping employers recruit international workers who are already in the UK and find themselves without sponsored employment. It also mitigates the loss of international recruitment caused by changes to the UK immigration system.

Ahead of publication of the draft Scottish Budget 2026-27 tomorrow, the First Minister announced that the fund is reopening for applications following positive feedback from providers.

The First Minister met internationally recruited social care employees during a visit to health and social care charity Quarriers.

He said: “The UK Government’s decision to close the adult social care visa route to new overseas applications means this vital sector faces significant recruitment challenges during a time of great need.   

“I have heard how our Displaced Workers Scheme is enabling more people to continue to build lives and livelihoods in a welcoming and open Scotland. It signals the type of country we are working to create – one with kindness and fairness at its heart – and ensures we can continue making a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable.

“We have already received 138 expressions of interest in the scheme, with positions expected to be filled over this month and next. But we want many more employers and workers to benefit, so we are reopening the fund and I would urge all eligible social care providers to express an interest in applying.

“This innovative scheme is just one example of how we are increasing capacity and relieving pressure within our health and social care system. This kind of delivery is what the people of Scotland can expect from the government’s Budget for 2026-27, which the Finance Secretary will set out tomorrow. The Scottish Budget will be firmly focused on my priorities: delivering strong and sustainable public services, growing the economy and supporting families.”

Alastair Dickson, Director of People and Wellbeing at Quarriers, said: “We were pleased to welcome the First Minister to our service in Cowdenbeath to meet international care workers and hear directly about their significant contribution to Quarriers. As an employer sponsor, this aligns with our priorities of investment, innovation, and inclusion to strengthen services and support a stable workforce.

“Quarriers is grateful for support through the Displaced Worker Scheme. It is a practical, targeted measure that helps employers like us meet the additional costs of recruiting workers who are already in the UK but have lost sponsorship through no fault of their own. This helps protect continuity of care and workforce capacity.”

Edinburgh International Book Festival opens submissions for Global Ink 2026

Call for Festival Directors Worldwide

Submissions for Global Ink 2026, Edinburgh International Book Festival’s flagship international forum for Festival Directors, are now open. Taking place in Edinburgh from 17–19 August 2026, as part of the wider Book Festival programme (15–30 August), Global Ink 2026 will unite leaders from twenty international festivals for three days of dynamic roundtables, networking, and sector-leading events, showcasing the breadth and diversity of Scotland’s cultural sector.

With a core focus on increasing the presence of Scottish writers and artists in festival programmes around the world, Global Ink 2026 builds on the Book Festival’s four decades of commitment to international exchange and collaboration.

Supported by the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland through the Festivals EXPO Fund, the forum is designed to foster new partnerships and enduring connections between Scotland and the global festival community.

EIBF has long pioneered international networks and collaboration between festivals, as a founding member of the Word Alliance, and committee member of the Global Alliance of Literature Festivals. 

Programme Highlights

  • Global Ink Directors’ Sessions: Monday 17 August, featuring closed-door roundtables and sector panels.
  • Scottish Showcase Day: Tuesday 18 August, with curated public events and connection with Scottish talent.
  • Industry Brunch : Wednesday 19 August, open networking with the Scottish and UK literary sector.
  • Closing Night Ceilidh: A celebration of Scottish culture to conclude the forum. 

Delegates arriving earlier in the week can also enjoy an Opening Party & Welcome Reception on Saturday 15 August, and Sunday 16 August’s Scottish Programme Highlight event.    

EIBF is delighted to have support from the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland, as the national public body for the arts, with this event being made possible by the Festivals EXPO Fund. 

Underlining the value being placed upon this event, Global Ink 2026 was announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson during the 2025 Book Festival programme.  We are currently working with the Scottish Government to shape joint opportunities involving delegates throughout this global forum. 

Delegate Benefits

International Festival Directors selected for Global Ink 2026 will receive:

  • Guaranteed admission to a number of Book Festival events, with exclusive opportunities to meet leading Scottish writers.
  • Tailored networking sessions with key Scottish stakeholders across culture, policy, and business.
  • Access to a fully-catered Hospitality Area for industry professionals.
  • Invitations to special events, including the opening party, receptions, and partners’ dinner.
  • Confidential closed-door sessions for candid sector discussion and professional exchange.
  • Partner-rate accommodation for the duration of Global Ink 2026.

Who Should Apply

Applications are welcomed from Directors of book, multi-arts, or ideas festivals based outside the UK, particularly those keen to develop long-term partnerships with the Edinburgh International Book Festival and Scotland’s wider cultural sector.

Successful delegates will benefit from special rates at partner hotels for the duration of their stay.

A separate submissions process will open for UK-based Festival Directors in Spring 2026.

Key Dates

Call Opens: 4 December 2025

Application Deadline: 24 January 2026

Forum Dates: 17–19 August 2026 (with additional events on 15 and 16 August 2026 for early attendees)

How to Apply

For more information and to apply, visit https://www.edbookfest.co.uk or contact Project Lead for Global Ink Kate Seiler at globalink@edbookfest.co.uk.

Jenny Niven, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: “Since 2024, our Global Ink programme has fostered strong international collaborations between the Edinburgh International Book Festival and other global literary festivals, which has seen new bridges built between countries and organisations, and a host of exciting new overseas opportunities open up to Scottish writers and thinkers. 

“Building on decades of international collaboration at the EIBF, we’re thrilled to be able to expand on this work with our 2026 edition, thanks to the support of Scottish Government and Creative Scotland’s Festivals EXPO Fund, forging new pathways to global audiences for Scotland’s breadth of fantastic writers, both new and established, as well as learning from our many sister Festivals around the world.

“We look forward to welcoming them to Edinburgh next August.”

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The expansion of Global Ink shows how our increased funding for Scottish festivals is creating more lasting connections with leading book festivals around the world. In turn this creates more global opportunities for Scottish writers and publishers. 

“Our commitment to increase culture funding, with an additional £4m a year for Scotland’s festivals, will have an impact in many different ways, including an even more influential role for Edinburgh International Book Festival and a richer experience for its audiences.” 

Scottish businesses set sights on team training to drive growth in 2026

  • Upskilling staff (46%) is Scottish businesses’ top focus area for 2026  
  • Firms will also be focused on enhancing their use of technology (44%) and improving productivity (37%) 
  • Just over two in five (42%) say they’ll need extra support with upskilling to achieve their 2026 goals  

Scottish businesses are making upskilling their focus for 2026, according to research from Bank of Scotland’s Business Barometer.   

In the year ahead, nearly half (46%) of Scottish businesses will be focussing on upskilling colleagues. Another 44% will be looking to enhance their use of technology, while more than a third (37%) will be looking to improve their productivity.  

Reflecting their priority areas, upskilling staff (42%) is the area where Scottish businesses say they’d most value extra support to achieve their 2026 goals, along with technology enhancements (30%). Just over a quarter (27%) would also value help improving their environmental sustainability.  

The Business Barometer, which surveys 1,200 businesses monthly and which has been running since 2002, provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide.  

Martyn Kendrick, Scotland Director at Bank of Scotland Commercial Banking, said: “Scottish businesses are putting people at the centre of their investment plans – something that will benefit the national economy, as well as their own growth aspirations.   

“Whatever businesses’ ambitions for 2026, we’ll be ready to provide our support to help them achieve their goals.”   

Supercharging our immune system could tackle cancer

Researchers find new way to “reenergise” immune cells

SUPERCHARGING immune cells could provide an effective way to tackle cancer, according to new research by scientists in Scotland.

The team at the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute in Glasgow studied how the immune system works and why it becomes “exhausted” by cancer.

T cells, which are the immune system’s front line against disease, eventually become overcome by cancer allowing it to grow.

Their research, published in Cell Reports, has identified a potential way to “boost” T cells, a key defence against cancer.

Lead researcher Professor Victoria Cowling, of the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute and University of Glasgow, said: “T cells need to rapidly multiply and produce proteins to fight off infections. That requires a huge amount of energy.

“We’ve discovered that a little-known enzyme, called CMTR1, helps switch on the energy supply by changing how certain genes work.

“If we can find ways to boost this process, we could improve how the immune system responds to cancer which could be a game-changer in how we treat the disease.”

CMTR1 plays a vital role in energising T cells, acting as a switch to help the immune cells ramp up their energy production.

The team found that CMTR1 tweaks the instructions inside cells — known as RNA — so that the right versions of energy-related proteins are made.

These proteins help shape the mitochondria, which are like tiny batteries inside cells. With the right shape, mitochondria can produce more energy, helping T cells stay strong and active.

Without CMTR1, the mitochondria break apart and don’t work properly, leaving T cells weak and unable to fight off infections effectively. With CMTR1 present, T cells have more energy allowing them to proliferate and fight infection.

Next steps would be to identify new or existing treatments which increase CMTR1 to give exhausted T cells the power to tackle cancer cells.

Cancer Research UK Director of Research, Dr Catherine Elliott, said: “Scientific breakthroughs like this have the potential to transform how we see and, crucially, how we treat cancer.

“Our immune system is a key area of cancer research and scrutinising how it works can help create real-world impact for those affected by cancer.”

In Scotland, around 34,800* people are diagnosed with cancer each year, with around 16,400** people dying from the disease annually, so finding new ways to tackle the disease is vital.

The study was funded by Cancer Research UK, the European Research Council, the Medical Research Council, and the Wellcome Trust.

Cyrenians: Community Pantries

Our Community Pantries offer a unique, low cost way to access a variety of foods, including Chilled and fresh produce, and ambient cupboard staples.

We’re working so that no one suffers from food insecurity – it’s part of our work tackling the causes and consequences of homelessness.

Find our pantries at St Brides Centre, Goodtrees Community Centre, The Neighbourhood Centre, The Ripple, Hibernian Community Foundation, Valley Park Community Centre and Southside Community Centre.

Find out more about our pantries here: https://buff.ly/oVCt71D