Fans of the 2003 Christmas classic Elf will be amazed to see Buddy the Elf played by Will Ferrell return to screens for the festive season in Asda’s new Christmas advert.

THE optics though. After days of deserved condemnation for her use of militant language regarding the UK migrant crisis, Suella Braverman arrived at Manston migrant camp by Chinook.

ONE in seven Scots are not confident they can afford to feed their families, a YouGov poll suggest.

THE COST of living crisis is hitting Scotland's attempts to tackle climate change - as people prioritise cutting household costs before being environmentally friendly.

OVER 200,000 Scot homeowners will see their mortgage payments rise by an average of £1700 a year in the space of ten months after the the Bank of England hiked the base rate of interest to 3%.

A SCOTTISH Dogs Trust centre is seeing more pets come into their care “than ever before” and warns that it is only expected to get worse in the winter months.

Loganair has unveiled multi-million-pound deals as it moves to complete the “renewal and future-proofing” of its fleet by 2023, with wholesale change of aircraft operating on its Highlands and Islands routes.

TAXPAYERS in Renfrewshire could be forced to fork out £17m after a council blunder resulted in a brand new school being too small to use.

How a charity is fighting a rise in owners forced to give up their pets due to the cost-of-living crisis by giving away 35 tons of food to over 60 food banks.

By Scott Wright

With a rise in people having to give up their cats but a slowdown in adoptions and donations, a Scottish Cats Protection branch is “getting hit from all angles”.

A Scottish research team working on ways to grow meat in a laboratory has secured a fresh investment of £11 million that will be used to extend its technology from cows and pigs into other species.

THE speed with which the Tories have managed to embed in people’s minds the notion that more austerity is an inevitability is way beyond dispiriting.

Construction has been brought forward to "meet high demand"

AS a teenager Susannah Bolton dreamt of a new life and breaking free of remote island life.

LONG Covid has caused only a "modest" increase in people dropping out of the labour market, experts have told MSPs.

HOLYROOD’S most senior official colluded with shamed Derek Mackay to protect him from journalists during a recent visit to Parliament.

By Scott Wright

THE Tory Party concept of a “compassionate country” has resulted in the UK falling, on a population basis, to 19 in the list of 20 European countries receiving asylum applications.

By Karen Peattie

A GROUP of students in the Dutch city of Eindhoven have built a campervan. No ordinary campervan – a solar-powered one. It can travel almost 450 miles on a sunny day, and it has a toilet, shower, a double bed and, perhaps for rainy days, a desk and...

On Thursday, 1 December the winners of The Herald Scottish Family Business Awards in association with Business Gateway will be revealed in a glittering ceremony in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow and today the finalists have been announced.

THE news was predictably grim. The UK’s economic winter of discontent is about to get colder, darker and last longer than anticipated with the chances of Rishi Sunak turning it into glorious summer anytime soon below zero.

Marked for success

IF you arrive at this page having updated yourself on the latest news at home and abroad, you may feel like throwing the odd four-letter word around as you curse what seems to be the utter logic-lacking madness at every turn. Well, go ahead. Swearing...

The First Minister will give evidence to Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee on Friday morning

ONLY a few minutes have elapsed since I walked through its doors and I begin to see why Dunoon Grammar has been rated Best School in the World.

NEARLY half of people in Scotland with Long Covid say there has been no real change in their symptoms over time, according to a new report.

Care staff have been given a 12 per cent pay rise at a 175-year-old Scots charity that already offers free gym memberships, parking and food on shift.

Hints and answer for today's Wordle, 503.

Described as a game for 'cinephiles and casual movie watchers alike' it is inspired by the worldwide popular guessing games. 

Here are some hints and tips to help you crack the Quordle from November 4.

Simon Community Scotland outlined its plans to help Glasgow's homeless over the coming months

NATIONALISED ScotRail workers are expected to stage strikes on every Friday and Saturday in December including Christmas Eve as part of an ongoing pay dispute.

“I am happy to look into Catrina’s experience,” said Nicola Sturgeon as if she were agreeing to check out some holiday snaps or review a CV.

ONE of ferry operator Calmac's oldest vessels has been taken out of service causing major disruption to island ferry services due to steering problems.

Luxury operator Roseate Hotels has expanded into Scotland with the acquisition of a boutique property in Edinburgh's West End.

NICOLA Sturgeon’s office has repeatedly refused to say if voters will get the same amount of time to study the new prospectus for independence as they did for the last one.

HOLYROOD has been accused of attempting to “shut down debate” on gender reforms after the Conservatives claimed the timeframe for amending the plans is too concise.

A Scottish city centre boutique hotel has been sold by its owner of 20 years to a private investor.

MORE than 200,000 Scots homeowners face mortgage bills rising by hundreds of pounds a year after the Bank of England hiked the base rate of interest to 3%.

The man from Compton delivers a stunning set that has the fish bouncing in the Clyde.

Farming

UNDER-pressure Home Secretary Suella Braverman will visit Dover as she battles to get a grip on the chaos in the asylum system amid international criticism over her claim the UK faced an “invasion” of migrants.

NICOLA Sturgeon has been put under pressure to sign Scotland up to an alliance phasing out the use of oil and gas by her partner in government.

Scottish hospitality group Cru Holdings is undertaking a major renovation of its oldest venues to unveil a new concept in time for the World Cup final in December.

By Mark Williamson

Business sentiment in Scotland has fallen into negative territory for the first time since the end of 2020 with 70 per cent of firms expecting economic growth to be weak or very weak in the coming year.

WHEN Alan Mahon decides to speak out, it is worth taking the time to listen.

By Mark Williamson