Now that the weather is improving Police are expecting more people to be out and about on their motorbikes. Here are some tips on how to secure your motorbike:
– Ensure your bike is fitted with a combined alarm and immobiliser which will deter thieves when the alarm sounds.
– Attach both a disc lock and U-lock. Do not rely on one device, The more security placed on your bike, the less attractive it is to a thief.
– Try to park under street lights.
– When applying your locks, ensure they are secured to a solid anchor point or a permanent piece of street furniture. Keep the lock off the ground where possible as this makes it difficult for the thief to remove.
– Cover your motorcycle and ensure the cover is attached to the security device.
– Where possible use ‘Thatcham’ or ‘Secure by Design’ approved devices www.securedbydesign.com. These have been tested by the industry and are generally agreed to be some of the most robust security devices available.
– Ensure you always activate the steering lock.
– Avoid leaving your helmet or other possessions on the motorcycle, in luggage space or panniers.
– Be vigilant, ensure that you are not being followed home and check for suspicious items attached to your motorcycle.
Social Media
Think about what you share on any app and regularly review your security settings
– Make sure your posts do not identify your home and make it a target.
Tracking Devices
Tracking devices are an effective covert security measure. Although they may not prevent your motorcycle from being stolen, it will assist police in tracing and recovering the vehicle quickly.
Marking and Identification Systems
Datatag ID – Datatag is a piece of technology which can be attached to various parts of your motorcycle. It comes in different forms, dependent on what is most appropriate and is unique to each individual. For more information on this product, please visit www.datatag.co.uk.
It was always on the cards that if restrictions were to be introduced on short-term letting in Scotland, Edinburgh would be first out of the blocks. And, sure enough, the council last month introduced a city-wide “control zone”.
The capital, which for obvious reasons is the country’s tourist Mecca, has become a magnet for Airbnb-style short-term lets over the last decade, leading to concerns about housing shortages and perceptions about anti-social behaviour.
Under draft proposals which will now go to Scottish Government Ministers for final approval, property owners will soon need planning permission to be able to operate short-term lettings and will have to apply for a change of use certificate from the planning department.
What is less well known is that the council has always had the power to require planning permission in the event of a material change in environment, such as short-term rentals. The difference is that, from now on, this will be mandatory.
It should be noted that the proposals only apply to secondary lettings, i.e., properties which are not an owner’s primary residence. People will still be able to let out their homes while on holiday, or rooms in their home while they remain in residence.
However, while the new restrictions appear to be forging ahead, it still remains unclear what policies the local authority will eventually apply. The current Development Plan – the overarching guide to future council thinking – makes no mention whatsoever of short-term lets.
Nor, surprisingly, does the document designed to replace it, the City Plan 2030, which again does not concern itself with the issue – making it increasingly difficult for property owners to plan ahead.
One can only speculate at the moment about whether permissions will be granted for continued short-term use, and on what grounds. Nor is there any clarity about whether numerical limits will be imposed.
Were there to be limits, it would be reasonable to assume that applications would be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so landlords hoping to remain in the market might be advised to act sooner, rather than later.
There is, of course, an existing provision in law whereby if a short-term let has been operating for more than 10 years, with no action against it by the council and no action to conceal its operation, then it is entitled to a Certificate of Lawfulness to continue operation, though necessary evidence will be required.
As of the start of this month, there have been nine applications so far this year for planning permissions for short-term lets, only two of which have been granted – and they both involved Certificates of Lawfulness.
What to do if applications fail is clearly now a matter of immediate concern for property owners and DM Hall’s specialist rural arm Baird Lumsden is currently embarked on an information campaign around the sales, letting and management options which remain open.
It has gone into the issue in depth, in anticipation that Highland Council will be the next authority to impose short-term let restrictions around the Badenoch and Strathspey area, and is reaching out to concerned parties.
Informed and impartial advice of this nature is something of a port in a storm for property owners who are caught between a rock and a hard place as the restriction net tightens.
There has been anecdotal evidence of landlords exiting the short-term market and moving to longer lets in the private rental sector. But regulation in this sphere of activity is getting stricter all the time, and the imminent New Deal for Tenants will do nothing to ease landlord pain.
On a superficial level, it is easy to understand the council’s hope that properties taken out of short-term lets will find their way back into the housing stock, thus easing ongoing shortages.
But a counter-argument, articulated by bodies such as the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, is that lack of house-building is as much of a contributory factor to shortages, and that short-term lets bring in huge volumes of valuable tourism revenue to the city.
As things are, some smaller operators may indeed be forced to sell up and quit the market, although larger letting concerns will almost certainly continue to jump through the necessary hoops.
In this volatile environment, expert professional advice is the only real safeguard, and prudent property owners and landlords will seek it out as timeously as possible.
Calum Allmond is Head of Architectural Services at DM Hall Chartered Surveyors.
For further information, contact DM Hall Chartered Surveyors, 27 Canmore Street, Dunfermline KY12 7NU. T: 01383 621262. E: dunfermline@dmhall.co.uk.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace gave a statement to the House of Commons on Ukraine yesterday:
With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to update the House on the situation in Ukraine and Her Majesty’s Government’s support to the Government in Kyiv.
The situation on the ground is grave. As we can recall, on 24 February, forces of the Russian army, unprovoked, crossed into Ukraine’s sovereign territory. Along three main axes, Russian armour has attempted to occupy Ukraine. Its plan was to reach and encircle Kyiv, encircle Ukrainian forces near the border and invade from the south to link up with its forces via Mariupol.
Russian high command committed 65% of its entire land forces, which are indisputably in possession of overwhelming firepower and armour. It is estimated that at the start of the invasion they had between 110 and 120 battalion tactical groups dedicated to the task, compared with approximately 65 in Ukraine.
Their missile stocks gave them even greater strength to reach Ukraine at distance. However, what they did not and still do not possess is the moral component so often needed for victory.
After 14 days of the war, according to the Ukrainian general staff, at 6 March, Russian casualties were assessed to include 285 tanks, 985 armoured fighting vehicles, 109 artillery systems, 50 multiple launch rocket systems, 44 aircraft, 48 helicopters and 11,000 soldiers, who have lost their lives needlessly.
There are numerous reports of surrenders and desertions by the ever-growingly disillusioned Russian army. To be clear, those are Ukrainian figures; I have to caution the House that we have not verified them by defence intelligence or other means.
I can announce to the House our assessment that, of the initial Russian objectives, only one has been successfully achieved.
While Russian forces are in control of Kherson, Melitopol and Berdyansk in southern Ukraine, they currently encircle the cities of Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol but are not in control of them.
In addition, their first day objective of targeting Ukrainian air defence has failed, preventing total air dominance. The Ukrainian armed forces have put up a strong defence while mobilising the whole population.
President Putin’s arrogant assumption that he would be welcomed as a liberator has deservedly crumbled as fast as his troops’ morale.
For our part, the United Kingdom continues to play a leading role in supporting Ukraine. On 17 January, I announced to the House the Government’s intention to supply military aid to the Ukrainian armed forces.
The aid took the form of body armour, helmets, boots, ear defenders, ration packs, rangefinders and communication equipment, and for the first time it also included weapons systems. The initial supply was to be 2,000 new light anti-tank weapons (NLAWs), small arms and ammunition.
In response to further acts of aggression by Russia, we have now increased that supply. I can update the House that, as of today, we have delivered 3,615 NLAWs and continue to deliver more. We will shortly be starting the delivery of a small consignment of anti-tank Javelin missiles as well. I want to assure the House that everything we do is bound by the decision to supply defensive systems and is calibrated not to escalate to a strategic level.
Britain was the first European country to supply lethal aid. I was pleased that not long after a military aid donor conference I held on 25 February, many more countries decided to do the same.
From right across Europe, the donations came. In particular, I want to highlight the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Poland, Romania, the Baltic states, Belgium and Slovenia for their leadership, and we should not ignore the significance of the German Government joining us, in a change of stance, and donating such aid.
Donations are not enough; the delivery of aid to the front line is just as important. Here, again, Britain is leading, because alongside Canada, the United States and Sweden, we have invested in building Ukrainian military capacity since 2015, and we find ourselves able to co-ordinate the delivery alongside our partners.
As the conflict intensifies, the Russians are changing their tactics, so the Ukrainians need to, too. We can all see the horrific devastation inflicted on civilian areas by Russian artillery and airstrikes, which have been indiscriminate and murderous. It is therefore vital that Ukraine maintains its ability to fly and to suppress Russian air attack.
To date, the international community has donated more than 900 man-portable air defence missiles and thousands of anti-tank guided weapons of varying types, as well as various small arms.
However, the capability needs strengthening, so in response to Ukrainian requests the Government have taken the decision to explore the donation of Starstreak high-velocity, man-portable anti-air missiles. We believe that this system will remain within the definition of defensive weapons, but will allow the Ukrainian forces to better defend their skies. We shall also be increasing supplies of rations, medical equipment, and other non-lethal military aid.
As with any war, the civilian population is suffering horrendous hardships. According to the Ukrainian Minister of Education, 211 schools have been damaged or destroyed, and media footage shows Russian strikes hitting kindergartens.
The Chernihiv regional administration reported that the Russian air force was employing FAB-500 unguided bombs against targets in the city, and according to Human Rights Watch, civilians in Mariupol have now been without water and power for almost a week.
President Zelenskyy talked of children dying of thirst. Today the estimated number of Ukrainian civilians killed or injured stands at more than 1,000, but the true figure is expected to be much higher, and I am afraid that worse is likely to come.
It is for that reason that the UK will increase its funding for Ukraine to £220 million, which includes £120 million of humanitarian aid. That will make the United Kingdom the single biggest bilateral humanitarian donor to Ukraine. We are also supporting humanitarian work with the Polish and Romanian Governments on the borders.
As I said in my last statement, we still believe that it is worth trying to build diplomatic pressure on Russia. This week, my good friend the Prime Minister met the Prime Ministers of Canada, the Netherlands and Poland. He also spoke to the leaders of France, Germany and the United States, and the Prime Ministers of Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
The Foreign Secretary is in Washington at the G7, and also attended the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting earlier this month. I myself met the Ukrainian Ambassador just this morning. President Putin should be and can be in no doubt that the international community is united against his actions. It remains strong, and will not back down.
As well as giving direct military support to Ukraine, we continue to bolster our contribution towards NATO’s collective security. NATO Defence Ministers will gather next week in Brussels to discuss the next steps. The UK is doing its bit in giving military support and reassurance to its allies.
We are currently supplying significant air power to NATO, including increased air patrols, with both Typhoons and F-35s for NATO air policing. We have also deployed four additional Typhoons to Cyprus to patrol NATO’s eastern border, and have sent an additional 800 troops to Estonia.
Over the last week, Apache and Chinook helicopters were involved in exercises in Estonia. Meanwhile, HMS Diamond has sailed to the eastern Mediterranean, HMS Northumberland is taking part in a northern deployment, and HMS Grimsby is in the Norwegian sea supporting NATO mine countermeasures.
On Monday HMS Prince of Wales, RFA Tidesurge and HMS Defender joined HMS Albion and RFA Mounts Bay for Exercise Cold Response, a multinational exercise off the coast of Norway, and HMS Richmond will be exercising with the Joint Expeditionary Force.
We have put over 1,000 more British troops on readiness to support humanitarian responses in the bordering countries. Britain’s contribution to NATO is significant and enduring. It is important at this time that, in order to maximise our reassurance and resilience effect, we co-ordinate through NATO and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Few of us will not have been moved by President Zelenskyy’s speech yesterday. His people are fighting for their very survival. His country is united against this aggression, and it is indeed his country’s darkest hour.
Yesterday I saw footage of a Russian armoured train, bristling with guns, heading towards Mariupol. A single brave Ukrainian woman ran to the train and shouted “Slava Ukraini”—unmoved, unintimidated by the guns. That woman’s bravery should inspire us all.
I know that many of our constituents, and our colleagues, are fearful of what will happen next. President Putin and the Kremlin continue to threaten countries that offer help to Ukraine. Their military campaign will, I am afraid, become more brutal and more indiscriminate, but it is my firm belief that our strength to stand up to such bullying comes from our alliances. As long as we stand united, both as a House and as the international community, the Kremlin’s threats cannot hurt us.
We should take strength from the peoples right across Europe who are standing shoulder to shoulder to protect our values—our freedom, our tolerance, our democracy and our free press. That is our shield.
Edinburgh Association of Community Councils appeals to members for financial support
The Edinburgh Association of Community Councils (EACC) is making a one-time appeal for funds.
Like community councils, we need to pay for a website, video-conferencing and meeting facilities, and help with documenting meetings etc.
Unlike community councils, we are not receiving financial support from either the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) or the Edinburgh Partnership, the higher level body to which both CEC and EACC belong.
Why is this? Community councils are statutory bodies and EACC is officially recognised by CEC as representing them in Edinburgh. Until a few years ago, EACC were getting a grant, similar to those given to individual community councils. This was authorised by Edinburgh Partnership, but paid by CEC from its community services budget.
Paul Lawrence, CEC Director of Place, has told us that funding hasn’t been provided to EACC since 2017-8. Inevitably there are conflicting explanations of why. We asked Paula McLeay, CEC Head of Policy and Insight, if the grant could be reinstated, but the answer was no.
EACC is unique among Edinburgh Partnership members in being totally voluntary and unfunded. This is unsustainable and we will continue to negotiate for the grant to be restored.
In the meantime we have no money, so we are launching this appeal for funds from Edinburgh’s community councils. (As a guide we are hoping to raise about £500 to maintain basic services.)
If you are willing to support EACC, we would be very grateful if you could send us funds by bank transfer:
Account number 30120430 Sort code 82 68 00 Account name Edinburgh Association of Community Councils
Next week the Prime Minister will call on the international community to make a renewed and concerted effort to ensure Putin fails in Ukraine
PM to meet leaders from Canada, Netherlands and Central Europe in London next week
Comes as the Prime Minister set out a six point ‘plan of action’ for the international community
In the last few days the UK has upped humanitarian and military support to Ukraine and doubled down on diplomatic efforts to isolate Russia
The Prime Minister is to call on the international community to make a renewed and concerted effort to ensure Putin fails in Ukraine.
In the days since Russia invaded Ukraine we have seen an unprecedented wave of international condemnation from across the globe. On Wednesday evening 141 nations voted to denounce Russia’s actions in only the 11th Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly ever held.
The same day, 38 countries, coordinated by the UK, led the largest ever referral to the International Criminal Court to ensure Putin will be held to account for his war crimes.
At the same time, more and more countries have stepped up to provide much-needed humanitarian and military support to the people of Ukraine. Nations across the globe have imposed the largest ever package of sanctions against a major economy.
On Monday the Prime Minister will welcome Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and Dutch Prime Minister Rutte to Downing Street for discussions on how to turn these commitments into a concerted campaign of solidarity with Ukraine. On Friday he spoke to President Macron and the leaders of Turkey and Serbia.
On Tuesday, he will host leaders of the ‘V4’ group of Central European nations – the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. These are countries already experiencing first-hand the humanitarian crisis rapidly engulfing the European continent.
The Prime Minister will tell leaders that, to ensure Putin fails in his ambitions, the international community must come together under a six-point plan of action to:
Mobilise an international humanitarian coalition for Ukraine
Support Ukraine in its efforts to provide for its own self-defence
Maximise the economic pressure on Putin’s regime
Prevent the creeping normalisation of what Russia is doing in Ukraine
Pursue diplomatic paths to de-escalation but only on the basis of full participation by the legitimate government of Ukraine
Begin a rapid campaign to strengthen security and resilience across the Euro-Atlantic area
Setting out his six-point plan tomorrow, the Prime Minister will say: “Putin must fail and must be seen to fail in this act of aggression. It is not enough to express our support for the rules-based international order – we must defend it against a sustained attempt to rewrite the rules by military force.
“The world is watching. It is not future historians but the people of Ukraine who will be our judge.
Last week the UK increased its humanitarian support to Ukraine and the region to £220 million announced this year, including £25 million of match funding to the DEC appeal. The UK continues to supply defensive and lethal weaponry to Ukraine and the Prime Minister has spoken to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy daily to understand the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ needs.
The UK has already implemented the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions ever imposed on a major economy. We have brought in sanctions on President Putin, Sergey Lavrov, five Russian banks and more than 300 individuals and entities at the heart of Putin’s regime, and Belarus. We are preventing the Russian state from raising debt here and isolating all Russian companies from access to UK capital markets.
The government will continue to ratchet up pressure and use sanctions to degrade the Russian economy on a scale that the Kremlin, or any major economy, has ever seen before. On Friday the government announced new provisions to streamline the current legislation so we can respond even more swiftly and effectively to the current crisis.
The Prime Minister will host both Prime Minister Rutte and Prime Minister Trudeau in Downing Street for separate bilateral meetings and a joint trilateral meeting.
Tuesday’s meeting of the V4 will take place in London and include both a plenary session of all five leaders and separate bilateral meetings.
PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON WRITES:
We must do more for Ukraine
Over the last week, in response to the gut-wrenching scenes in Ukraine, Western unity has been impressive and heartening. I know from my near-daily conversations with President Zelenskyy that this has provided Ukrainians with some comfort in their hour of need.
Never in my life have I seen an international crisis where the dividing line between right and wrong has been so stark, as the Russian war machine unleashes its fury on a proud democracy. Russia’s reckless attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant reminds us just how grave the stakes are for everyone. Millions of people are fleeing from the violence, towards an uncertain future.
President Biden has displayed great leadership, consulting and convening allies, exposing the lie that America’s commitment to Europe is somehow diminished. The European Union has undertaken a remarkable effort to align behind severe sanctions on Russia. Dozens of European countries are now sending defensive equipment to Ukraine’s armed forces. But have we done enough for Ukraine? The honest answer is no.
Putin’s act of aggression must fail and be seen to fail. We must not allow anyone in the Kremlin to get away with misrepresenting our intentions to find post-facto justification for their war of choice. This is not a NATO conflict and it will not become one. No ally has sent combat troops to Ukraine. We have no hostility towards the Russian people and we have no desire to impugn a great nation, a world power and a founding member of the United Nations. We despair of the decision to send young innocent Russians into a bloody and futile war.
The truth is that Ukraine had no serious prospect of NATO membership in the near future – and we were ready to respond to Russia’s stated security concerns through negotiation. I and many other Western leaders have spoken to President Putin to understand his perspective. Mr Putin to understand his perspective. The United Kingdom even sent emissaries to Moscow before Russia’s invasion to deal directly with Defence Minister Gen. Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the general staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, who are spearheading this awful campaign.
It was now clear diplomacy never had a chance. But it is precisely because of our respect for Russia that we find the actions of the Putin regime so unconscionable. He is attempting the destruction of the very foundation of international relations and the United Nations Charter: the right of nations to decide their own future free from aggression and fear of invasion. His assault on Ukraine began with a confected pretext and a flagrant violation of international law. Now it is sinking further into a sordid campaign of war crimes and unthinkable violence against civilians.
Though there can be no comparison with the assault on Ukraine, we in Britain know something of President Putin’s ruthlessness. Four years ago, we endured the outcome of his order to his operatives to use chemical weapons to assassinate people in Salisbury in 2018 – and our allies rallied to our side. In our defence and foreign policy review, published a year ago, we warned that Russia remained the most acute security threat and we announced the biggest increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War.
We also warned that the world was changing for the worse, entering into a period of competition in which authoritarian states would test the mettle of the West in every domain. Last year’s agreement between Britain, America and Australia to build nuclear submarines for the Australian navy demonstrated our shared resolve to meet these challenges in the Indo-Pacific. But we must restore effective deterrence in Europe where, for too long, the very success of NATO and of America’s security guarantee has bred complacency.
We have failed to learn the lessons of Russian behaviour that have led to this point. No one can say we were not warned: we saw what Russia did in Georgia in 2008, Ukraine in 2014 and even on the streets of the British city of Salisbury. And I know from speaking to my counterparts on recent visits to Poland and Estonia just how acutely they feel the threat.
It is no longer enough to express warm platitudes about the rules-based international order. We are going to have to actively defend it against a sustained attempt to rewrite the rules by force and other tools such as economic coercion. What happens in Europe will have profound implications worldwide.
We are pleased to see more nations now beginning to grasp this hard reality. In January, the UK was among a handful of European countries sending defensive aid to Ukraine. Now, more than 25 countries are part of that effort. Defence spending is going up, though it will take time for that to translate into capability.
These are welcome developments, but not going to be enough on their own to save Ukraine or keep the flame of freedom alive. Russia has overbearing force and apparently no regard for the laws of war. We need to prepare now for even darker days ahead.
So must begin a six-point plan for Ukraine, starting today.
First, we must mobilise an international humanitarian coalition. On Monday I will meet the leaders of Canada and the Netherlands in London to talk about creating the widest possible coalition to expose the outrages that are taking place in Ukraine. On Tuesday, I will host the leaders of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic, now on the frontline of a refugee crisis. The UK has 1,000 troops on standby for humanitarian operations on top of £220 million of aid. We must all work together to establish an immediate ceasefire and allow civilians safe passage, food and medical supplies.
Second, we must do more to help Ukraine to defend itself. More and more nations are willing to provide defensive equipment. We must act quickly to coordinate our efforts to support the legitimate government of Ukraine.
Third, we must maximise the economic pressure on Putin’s regime. We must go further on economic sanctions, expelling every Russian bank from SWIFT. We must go after the oligarchs, as the UK is doing – sanctioning over 300 elites and entities including Putin himself and giving our law enforcement agencies unprecedented powers to peel back the façade of dirty Russian money in London. But these measures will be insufficient unless Europe begins to wean itself off the Russian oil and gas that bankrolls Putin’s war machine.
Fourth, no matter how long it takes, we must prevent any creeping normalisation of what Russia does in Ukraine. The lesson from Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 and seizure of Crimea in 2014 is that accepting the results of Russian aggression merely encourages more aggression. We cannot allow the Kremlin to bite off chunks of an independent country and inflict immense human suffering and then be allowed to creep back into the fold.
Fifth, we should always be open to diplomacy and de-escalation, provided that the legitimate government of Ukraine has full agency in any potential settlement. There can be no new Yalta decided over the heads of the people of Ukraine by external powers.
Sixth, we must act now to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security. This includes bolstering NATO’s eastern flank but also supporting non-NATO European countries that are subject to the same Kremlin playbook, such as Moldova, Georgia and the nations of the Western Balkans. And those who participate or enable Russian aggression, such as Belarus, will be subject to maximum sanctions.
Ukrainians have bravely defended their country. It is their valour that has United the international community. We can’t let them down.
A survey of 200 motorists by Bridgestone has confirmed that Scottish consumers are beginning to accelerate towards electric vehicle travel, with 70% preparing to ditch their petrol and diesel cars for good.
The UK YouGov survey commissioned by Bridgestone confirms that transition is in the air, with over two-thirds stating that they’ll make the change and will not be keeping a standard vehicle (petrol/diesel) alongside it when they do.
The research confirmed that the majority see and acknowledge the benefits of EV travel, with
62% citing environmental positives and
48% looking forward to making fuel savings. A further 23% reference tax benefits as a reason for the switch and
7% are looking forward to a reduction in noise emissions as their primary reason.
In addition,
41% are keen to know more about EV maintenance and how it differs to standard makes and models.
Bridgestone has already developed its tyre technology to ensure that EVs can travel further between charges whilst prolonging battery life, and has also committed to install up to 3,500 new charging points across Europe over the next five years through a partnership with EV Box, with plans for the first of the EV Box roll-out in the UK set to be announced soon.
Bridgestone’s ENLITEN Technology, reduces the rolling resistance of a tyre by up to 30%, and weight by up to 20%. It extends the driving range of EVs and also contributes to reducing environmental impact thanks to improved resource productivity.
This not only ensures that less raw materials are used to manufacture the tyres, but also contributes to the reduced rolling resistance, meaning electric vehicles can do more miles per range and be recharged less.
And its TECHSYN technology extends the designed lifespan of a tyre by up to 30 per cent3. As a result, TECHSYN reduces overall fuel consumption and CO2 emissions5, enhances tread mileage6 to extend a tyre’s designed life and cuts raw material consumption in the long term.
The YouGov survey also suggests that Scottish motorists are well informed on changes ahead, with
58% aware that all new car sales must be zero emission by 2035.
Of that figure, 23% are keen to see this target brought forward to 2030.
27% would also like to learn new driving tips to help them get more from their electric vehicle.
Bridgestone North Region Vice President Andrea Manenti said the results offered further justification for the company’s commitment to EV travel: “We are investing in our mobility solutions like never before, with new products, charging points and training in place for the full integration of EV travel.
“With this in mind, it is great to see that Scottish motorists are also on board with the technology and the huge changes that are beginning to be seen. Our original tyre fitments specifically engineered for EVs will reach 20% of our overall portfolio by 2024.
“We are investing to make electric mobility more efficient and accessible by pioneering premium tyres and tyre technologies for EVs and dedicated fleet and mobility solutions. We’re also partnering with leading EV manufacturers and developing an EV-ready retail and service network.”
“The survey tells me that we’re all moving in the same direction when it comes to EV travel and we’ll continue to push the boundaries to ensure that Bridgestone is a pioneering company in this area of mobility solutions.”
Scoop Restaurants is delighted to announce that Ka Pao Edinburgh will be opening its doors on level 4 at St James Quarter on Monday the 21st of March. Bookings are now open and can be made via the Ka Pao website.
The announcement comes hot on the heels of the news that the Michelin Guide has just awarded Ka Pao Glasgow with a coveted Bib Gourmand award in the 2022 guide. The Michelin Bib Gourmand recognises restaurants offering great quality food as well as good value for money.
A passion for the food and cooking of Southeast Asia is central to Ka Pao’s style, with a menu of sharing plates honouring the team’s time living and travelling throughout the region. The name Ka Pao, a play on the Thai word for holy basil, has become synonymous with Scotland’s thriving dining scene, having quickly built a reputation for its bold flavours, low-key funky setting and good-night-out vibes.
The menu will unite the very best of UK produce with ingredients, flavour combinations and cooking techniques gleaned from the core team’s travels and experiences working in Northern Thailand and Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore, and sampling the uniquely knit Asian influences found in Australia’s modern cuisine.
Head Chef Sandy Browningsaid: “The vibe at Ka Pao is pretty fun and relaxed. It’s really welcoming and there’s something for everyone.
“If travel and money were no object, my ideal night out would be at a night market, struggling with the humidity and inhaling intoxicating scents, and eating whatever I’m offered.
“The setting here might be starkly different but the idea of sharing food with people you like, surrounded by noise and buzz is something pretty universal.
“The opening menu at Ka Pao will be on-the-whole in keeping with what we offer in Glasgow. It’s a collection of dishes we love to cook and eat. We’re not trying to replicate any particular regional cuisine but I think it’s clear where our influences have shaped the food we cook.”
Ideal for sharing, hungry diners will be spoilt for choice, with dishes featured such as corn ribs with salted coconut, shrimp and lime; Ka Pao’s own recipe grilled pork and bone marrow sausage; and braised beef and apache potato massaman curry. A specially chosen sharing menu for groups of 4 or more offers a feast fit for the famished.
“Our inspiration really comes from the ingredients we’re using. Scottish and Southeast Asian food both have their own distinct vocabularies and what’s most fun for me is finding where they cross over. Figuring out how a familiar dish comes apart and applying its technique and seasoning to something readily available to us like lamb, venison or even neeps and sprouts.’
A bespoke cocktail menu combines clean citrus flavours with spice, as in the long pepper penicillin or palm sugar and cassia old fashioned. If not in the mood for cocktails, large format sharing beers, and a selection of wines have all been chosen to compliment the spicy and sweet, aromatic and funky flavours of the menu.
Head Chef Sandy has been at Ka Pao’s helm since it’s inception as a pop-up residency in Glasgow’s SWG3, and now leads the Edinburgh kitchen. General Managers Lily Maclean and Paige Wilson will oversee the operation, with over 40 new roles having been created.
“The team are so excited to be getting started. They all have a real enthusiasm for the food we’re cooking and are going to be a crucial part of creating the restaurant’s atmosphere. We already know what Ka Pao can be at its core, but the St James crew will really put their stamp on the place,”says Lily.
“Sandy’s so excited to be back in Edinburgh where he grew up and that energy is totally infectious.”
As well as advanced bookings, Ka Pao will also keep a number of spaces in its bar area for walk-ins. Diners without a booking can either walkup or view live estimated wait times and join a virtual queue via the restaurant’s website on the day.
“Ka Pao is a really good fit to be in a retail led, lifestyle district like St James Quarter,” says Scoop Managing Director, Jonathan MacDonald. “It has a great vibe for a fun night out with cocktails, and is equally well suited to popping in for a tasty bite to eat when you’re out shopping or going to the cinema.
“The virtual online queue is a great feature, it means at peak times you can put your name down and go for a drink nearby or a wander round the shops and we’ll text you once a table is ready.”
Ka Pao will be open from noon ‘til late, seven days a week. In return for their feedback, guests dining during its soft opening between 21-25 March can expect 50% off their food bill.
“You really can’t find a more honest bunch than the Scottish dining public,” says Paige. “It’s massively important to us to get the vibe right and offer everyone a brilliant dining experience, so we’re more than happy to give a wee discount to our first customers in exchange for their helpful opinions while the team get settled in. To get to be a part of a new opening in the capital is an honour and we can’t wait to share what we’ve created.”
The 92-cover restaurant and bar has been designed by Stuart Black: Head of Interior Design at Mosaic, also responsible for the interiors of Ka Pao Glasgow and Ox and Finch. Stuart’s interior combines bold terrazzo and ceramic surfaces with bespoke architectural metalwork and mid-century furniture.
Ka Pao joins a varied collection of Scottish and international food and drink brands contributing to St James Quarter’s dining and leisure offerings, providing customers with an enviable events programme in a range of new and attractive public spaces.
Nick Peel, Managing Director at St James Quarter, said: “We know that all of Edinburgh has been looking forward to Ka Pao opening, and we know it will be a sensational addition to both the Quarter and the wider city centre.
“Our Edinburgh guests and visitors from further afield are in for a real treat. This is another world class addition which will ignite the nighttime economy and food culture in the East End of Edinburgh. We are all ready to go Ka Pao!“
New research from World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) reveals that 97% of Brits already own the foods that could help to prevent cancer
Brits who spend the least on their weekly food shop own the most cancer preventative staple foods
Nation’s favourite staples revealed as tinned tuna and pasta
Nation’s least favourite voted as dried pulses, seeds and tinned carrots
World Cancer Research Fund, the leading authority on cancer prevention, is urging people to look in the back of their cupboards and make heroes of their forgotten basics.
While 40% of cancers could be prevented by lifestyle changes including diet, only 10% of Brits realise this, and 7% of people think that no cancers can be prevented.*
However, you don’t need to eat goji berries or other ‘superfoods’ every day to help prevent cancer. The basic foods that often languish in our cupboards can hold the key to improving our health. Even better, most of us already own them.
Respondents were asked to select from a long list of common, nutrient rich staple foods including tinned tomatoes, rice and pulses, that all aligned with one of the charity’s key cancer prevention recommendations: ‘Eat a better diet’. 97% of people owned at least one of these items.
The nation’s most loved staples were revealed as tinned tuna and pasta (both 27%), while the nation’s least loved foods included dried pulses (4%), seeds and tinned carrots (both 6%).
To help people make the most of these ingredients, the charity has developed a Cupboard Heroes recipe generator where people can type in their cupboard (or fridge, or freezer) basics and discover an array of delicious and healthy recipes that can also help reduce the risk of cancer.
Interestingly, the research shows that the majority (42%) of people spend £20-30 per person on their weekly shop. And it’s those who spend under £30pp who were shown to own the most cancer preventative foods, proving that eating a healthy diet doesn’t have to break the bank.
Bestselling author, chef and ambassador for Cancer Prevention Action Week 2022, Phil Vickery, said, “I’m thrilled to be partnered with World Cancer Research Fund to raise awareness of these important findings.
“Eating fuss-free staple foods has so many benefits, particularly in the current context. It’s never too late to change your diet and improve your health and you really can make showstopper meals which are full of flavour using unexpected ingredients.”
Rachael Gormley, CEO of World Cancer Research Fund said, “We have seen the power of prevention first-hand. Healthy eating can often feel unattainable, but our evidence shows we don’t need to rely on heavily marketed, expensive ‘superfoods’.
“Whilst canned, dried and frozen items often get a bad rap, the good news is they are also packed full of vital nutrients and can help to reduce your risk of cancer. This Cancer Prevention Action Week, we wanted to provide people with the tools and information that can help them reduce their cancer risk.
“Our latest research shows that people already have the right ingredients they just need some inspiration to turn them into delicious dishes.”
World Cancer Research Fund’s recipe generator enables people to input up to two basic ingredients and discover an array of nutritious meal ideas at the click of a button.
Recipes include lentil & tuna salad – mixing the nation’s least favourite store cupboard staple with one of its favourites, vegetable pasta bake – a simple and budget conscious option from the charity’s Family Flavours cookbook, and a chickpea & bean casserole.
For all recipes fresh ingredients can also be swapped for tinned.
Economy Secretary Kate Forbes will publish the new National Strategy for Economic Transformation today, hailing it as a ‘step-change’ in how government and business can work together to make the economy more prosperous, more productive and more internationally competitive.
Ms Forbes said the strategy, underpinned by detailed economic analysis and rooted in a clear plan of delivery, will offer renewed clarity on Scotland’s economic vision and will aim to deliver economic growth that is significantly greater than that seen in the previous decade.
The strategy sets out how government, public bodies and economic agencies, the education system, trade unions, the third sector and critically, industry and businesses can use the current economic powers of the Scottish Government to deliver economic transformation that will benefit the length and breadth of the country.
The strategy is expected to include details of a new investor panel, to be chaired by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. It will build on Scotland’s legacy of COP26 by securing capital investment in Scotland’s transition to net zero.
Speaking ahead of the strategy’s launch, Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said: “The National Strategy for Economic Transformation offers renewed clarity of our vision for Scotland, with a ruthless focus on delivery.
“We’ve consulted with business, academia, trade unions and more to develop this strategy and it will be a collective national endeavour over the next decade to shift the dial on our economy into becoming fairer, wealthier, and greener.
“We’re still feeling the impacts of Brexit and we know that international investment will be key to mitigating these effects and growing our economy.
“Only a few months ago investors came to Glasgow and signalled that significant amounts of investment are available for the transition required by our transport, energy, and economic sectors.
“This strategy marks a step change in how we approach the economy and it will help us to deliver the best economic performance possible for Scotland within the current constitutional constraints. We want Scotland to be a more resilient and more entrepreneurial economy – in which everybody can share in our success.
“As we look beyond the pandemic we must be ready to seize the economic opportunities that come with achieving net-zero and becoming a fairer country.”
New measures added to Online Safety Bill in fight against anonymous abusers
Main social media firms will have to give people the power to control who can interact with them, including blocking anonymous trolls
Platforms will also need to offer tools to give people more control over what posts they see on social media
To put more power in the hands of people using social media, the biggest and most popular firms will be required to provide users with tools to tailor their experiences and give them more decision-making over who can communicate with them and what kind of content they see.
The government recognises too many people currently experience online abuse and there are concerns that anonymity is fuelling this, with offenders having little to no fear of recrimination from either the platforms or law enforcement.
Over the past year people in the public eye, including England’s Euro 2020 footballers, have suffered horrendous racist abuse. Female politicians have recieved abhorrent death and rape threats, and there is repeated evidence of ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ people being subject to coordinated harassment and trolling.
So today the government is confirming it will add two new duties to its Online Safety Bill to strengthen the law against anonymous online abuse.
The first duty will force the largest and most popular social media sites to give adults the ability to block people who have not verified their identity on a platform. A second duty will require platforms to provide users with options to opt out of seeing harmful content.
Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “Tech firms have a responsibility to stop anonymous trolls polluting their platforms.
“We have listened to calls for us to strengthen our new online safety laws and are announcing new measures to put greater power in the hands of social media users themselves.
“People will now have more control over who can contact them and be able to stop the tidal wave of hate served up to them by rogue algorithms.”
The vast majority of social networks used in the UK do not require people to share any personal details about themselves – they are able to identify themselves by a nickname, alias or other term not linked to a legal identity.
Removing the ability for anonymous trolls to target people on the biggest social media platforms will help tackle the issue at its root, and complement the existing duties in the Online Safety Bill and the powers the police have to tackle criminal anonymous abuse.
First duty – user verification and tackling anonymous abuse
The draft Online Safety Bill already places requirements on in-scope companies to tackle harmful content posted anonymously on their platforms and manage the risks around the use of anonymous profiles. This could include banning repeat offenders associated with abusive behaviour, preventing them from creating new accounts or limiting their functionality.
Under a new duty announced today, ‘category one’ companies with the largest number of users and highest reach – and thus posing the greatest risk – must offer ways for their users to verify their identities and control who can interact with them.
This could include giving users options to tick a box in their settings to receive direct messages and replies only from verified accounts. The onus will be on the platforms to decide which methods to use to fulfil this identity verification duty but they must give users the option to opt in or out.
When it comes to verifying identities, some platforms may choose to provide users with an option to verify their profile picture to ensure it is a true likeness. Or they could use two-factor authentication where a platform sends a prompt to a user’s mobile number for them to verify. Alternatively, verification could include people using a government-issued ID such as a passport to create or update an account.
Banning anonymity online entirely would negatively affect those who have positive online experiences or use it for their personal safety such as domestic abuse victims, activists living in authoritarian countries or young people exploring their sexuality.
The new duty will provide a better balance between empowering and protecting adults – particularly the vulnerable – while safeguarding freedom of expression online because it will not require any legal free speech to be removed. While this will not prevent anonymous trolls posting abusive content in the first place – providing it is legal and does not contravene the platform’s terms and conditions – it will stop victims being exposed to it and give them more control over their online experience.
Users who see abuse will be able to report it and the bill will significantly strengthen the reporting mechanisms companies have in place for inappropriate, bullying and harmful content, and ensure they have clear policies and performance metrics for tackling it.
Edleen John, The FA’s Director of International Relations, Corporate Affairs and Co-partner for EDI, said: “On behalf of English football, the FA welcomes the news that the Government will be strengthening the Online Safety Bill to protect users from anonymous online abuse.
“For too long, footballers and other participants across the game have been subjected to abhorrent discriminatory abuse from those who hide behind a cloak of anonymity, which has perpetuated a culture of impunity online. This needs to stop.
The measures announced by the Government are a helpful first step to put the onus and responsibility on social media companies to create a safe space for all their users, and to give people the option to control who they interact with and what they see online. We look forward to the Online Safety Bill being introduced to the House of Commons in the near future.”
Second duty – giving people greater choice over what they see on social media
The bill will already force in-scope companies to remove illegal content such as child sexual abuse imagery, the promotion of suicide, hate crimes and incitement to terrorism.
But there is a growing list of toxic content and behaviour on social media which falls below the threshold of a criminal offence but which still causes significant harm. This includes racist abuse, the promotion of self-harm and eating disorders, and dangerous anti-vaccine disinformation. Much of this is already expressly forbidden in social networks’ terms and conditions but too often it is allowed to stay up and is actively promoted to people via algorithms.
Under a second new duty, ‘category one’ companies will have to make tools available for their adult users to choose whether they want to be exposed to any legal but harmful content where it is tolerated on a platform.
These tools could include new settings and functions which prevent users receiving recommendations about certain topics or place sensitivity screens over that content.
