2+ hour, 8+ min ago (355+ words) A MAJOR milestone in Scotland's internet identity has been reached with the launch of a new domain. DotScot, the domain for the worldwide community of Scots, has announced that .co.scot domains are now available for purchase in what bosses behind the firm say is a "turning point" for people worldwide to express their Scottish connection. The firm's .scot domains are used by the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, NHS Scotland, and by businesses, organisations, and individuals across the country along with a further 62 countries around the world." DotScot are calling the .co.scot launch the "biggest development" since the launch of .scot in 2014. The new domain has a lower price than many of the traditional domains, including . co.uk , at "4.95 per year, and will help make DotScot more affordable for people in Scotland and Scots worldwide. The new domain…...

7+ mon, 3+ week ago (324+ words) Whether you feel like catching up on'the latest news'with no interruptions from adverts, or exercising your mind with'new interactive puzzles every day,'you can do so wherever you are with your digital subscription to The National, and using the app. The National's new app is up and running " download it now! The National is committed to delivering insightful Scottish news that you can trust from Scotland's only pro-independence newspaper. Therefore we're always investing in new ways to improve our readers' experience. We are excited to launch our new and improved app, which has been expertly developed to provide an improved user experience. So, don't miss out and join The National today from just "1 for three months. Editor Laura Webster said: "Times have changed from readers simply picking up a physical copy of a newspaper. We know our supporters want to…...

8+ mon, 1+ week ago (473+ words) ANAS'Sarwar will lead Scottish Labour to its "biggest defeat" in the devolution era, according to a former party MSP. Neil Findlay, who represented Labour at Holyrood for a decade until 2021, resigned from Scottish Labour after 35 years following the UK Government's cuts to disability benefits. On Tuesday, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said that the Labour Government would cut Personal Independence Payments (PIP) by "5 billion per year by 2030, leading to widespread condemnation from charities. Findlay said in a furious letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer that he was "betraying Labour's proud history and lay[ing] waste to any claim of moral principle". Now, in an interview with The National, Findlay has also hit out at Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who has so far defended the cuts despite some opposition from his own MSPs. "We were told, when Richard Leonard…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago (404+ words) THE Labour Government has "short-changed" Scotland after handing more than "500 million to the Wales without a penny for an equivalent Scottish fund, the Deputy First Minister has said. Kate Forbes has written to Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander raising concerns about the "missing half-a-billion", accusing Labour of repeating policies of the Tory Party. It comes after the UK Government announced a "547m Local Growth Fund for Wales " which will be paid over three years and allocated by Welsh Labour ministers. Welsh Labour Economy Secretary Rebecca Evans opened a consultation on how to use the money last week, saying that her Government will be "ready to implement this fund from April 2026". However, Forbes has said the lack of an equivalent fund for Scotland raises concerns of a perception that public money is being used for party political purposes. Finance Secretary Shona Robison has…...

2+ mon, 3+ week ago (200+ words) THE National is offering a special "9.99-a-year subscription for students " here's everything you need to know." Here at The National we are proud to"be"Scotland's only pro-independence daily newspaper, and we know that it is a cause which resonates with so many"young"people." As a paper with a progressive perspective, we see lots of young people interacting with us on social media "on the likes of"TikTok,"Instagram and Threads. So we want to make it easier for students to access our journalism. What you get with a National subscription: Our student offer is a great way for budding journalists, or anybody who is studying politics or media, to keep in the loop with what is going on in Scotland " and a useful resource for any coursework too." Maybe you're studying something that has nothing to do with…...

6+ mon, 2+ week ago (342+ words) A KEY vote will be held on assisted dying legislation in the Scottish Parliament today. A KEY vote will be held on assisted dying legislation in the Scottish Parliament today. MSPs will gather to discuss and vote on the general principles of Liam McArthur's Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill at stage one. The bill would make it legal for terminally ill patients in Scotland to lawfully request, and be provided with assistance to, end their life. If the bill passes at this stage,the legislation will gothrough for further consideration and amendments. Assisted dying legislation has been voted on by MSPs twice before but has fallen on both occasions. However, it is expected today's vote will be tight. If you are looking to follow the debate, you can tune into Scottish Parliament TVfrom 2pm. MSPs are scheduled to…...

2+ day, 22+ hour ago (519+ words) INDEPENDENCE campaign group Believe in Scotland (BIS) has hosted the first of its new online meetings for organisers and activists from across the country. The new "national online Yes groups gathering", to take place twice a month, brought together around 130 local grassroots groups on Wednesday night. The meeting marked the next step in the organisation's plan to "renew the independence campaign, rebuild our momentum, and reunite the Scottish independence movement" through next year's Scottish independence congress. Groups from across Scotland including Yes for EU, Yes Inverclyde, and Yes Carnoustie ran watch parties and engaged in discussion, with many describing the session as "motivating, uplifting, and energising". Topics during the meeting included the organisation's Road to Independence Plan, a recent "i-Switch" campaign urging voters to back independence to save money on their energy bills. and discussion on building momentum in local…...

3+ mon, 2+ week ago (428+ words) THE population of Scotland has reached a record high,figures show. New statistics released by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) show the number of people living in Scotland hit 5.5 million for the first time ever. The population grew by 40,900 (0.7%) as of mid-June 2024, with migration being the biggest growth driver as the number of deaths in all local authority areas bar Midlothian were greater than the number of births. Welcoming the report, Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart said: "The latest figure demonstrates the continuing appeal of Scotland as an attractive country for people to live, work, study and settle in. "We welcome people from around the world and other parts of the UK who want to build their lives here, and it is notable that more people have again moved to Scotland from the rest of the UK than have moved…...

4+ mon, 2+ week ago (453+ words) A TRADE union group has criticised ScotRail amid'plans'to outsource its complaints team to a French firm. The train operator is reportedly set to outsource its complaints team to French-owned Teleperformance, according to the Daily Record. Passengers looking for a refund for a late or cancelled service must speak with a call centre in Glasgow which is run separately from the railway. The customer services team, which handles complaints and personal injury claims, was previously operated by Dutch transport giant Abellio'under a contract agreed before Scottish ministers took charge of ScotRail in 2022. But it is set to be run by Teleperformance'after a deal was announced to employees last week.' The company runs call centres in 34 countries'and has previously been accused of using "union busting" tactics against workers. Simon Barrow,'national secretary of the SNP Trade Union Group, said outsourcing the complaints…...

8+ mon, 3+ week ago (129+ words) THE National hosted a hustings between Alba Party leadership candidates Ash Regan and Kenny MacAskill last night. Our political reporter Hamish Morrison " with the aid of our readers who shaped the debate by leaving questions " scrutinised the two candidates to replace Alex Salmond as party leader. It saw the two battle it out on issues such as the internal fighting with the party and proposed routes to independences." It was broadcast live on our Twitter/X account, YouTube and Facebook but you can also listen back (below). Former MP MacAskill is serving as the acting leader of Alba while Regan is an Edinburgh MSP. Voting in the leadership race opens on March 10 and closes 15 days later. The new Alba leader will be announced on March 26....