Edinburgh Evening News - May 13, 2025

In this issue

May 13, 2025

Nearly half of UK adults say distraction stops them reading

The Reading Agency’s ‘State of the Nation in Adult Reading 2025’ report reveals a growing reading crisis, especially among younger adults, who report distraction as one of the most common barriers to reading for pleasure in the UK.

1 min

'Lower tackle height in women's rugby reduces head contact'

A world-first study says lowering the tackle height in women’s rugby has been effective in reducing the number of contact-based head injuries and has led to a “positive change in player behaviour”.

1 min

Hay fever allergy in later life

A prescription-only steroid jab is being sold online to desperate hay fever sufferers - but medics say it's unsafe and

1 min

Online hay fever jabs a health threat warn pharmacists

Crackdown as fears brew over rogue online hay fever clinics

2 mins

How to identify common allergies such as hay fever

Now that we are well into hay fever season, it seems a good time to have a look at what causes allergies and how you can manage them.

1 min

How to allergy-proof your home in sneezy season

It's that time of year again. As the trees blossom and we look up to the skies, their pollen permeates the air-kick-starting classic allergy symptoms such as sneezing fits and itchy eyes.

2 mins

Police station shut 40 times in six weeks

A key city-centre police station which is supposed to be open around the clock has been closed to the public on more than 40 occasions in the past six weeks.

1 min

Carnival forced to close after waltzer ride malfunctions

An Edinburgh carnival has been forced to close two weeks early after a waltzer cart carrying three young passengers detached from its track and crashed into a speaker.

1 min

Anger as councillor gets £6k raise for vice-convener role

The creation of a new £32,000 per year role as the vice-leader of an Edinburgh Council committee has been slammed as a \"an outrageous misuse of public funds\".

1 min

Care charity to encourage city to be more dementia-friendly

To mark Dementia Awareness Week, an Edinburgh-based care charity has announced it will host events to inspire local residents and businesses to become more dementia-friendly.

1 min

Runners on starter's orders to race a tram across the city in new event

Runners will be challenged to race a tram across Edinburgh in an innovative event planned for next month.

2 mins

Sheriff slams two men who chased teen onto station roof

Two friends who forced a teenager to jump from the roof of the Capital’s main train station where he was electrocuted have been slammed by a Sheriff.

1 min

Stables boss who sexually assaulted women at livery yards is spared jail

A stables owner who sexually assaulted three women by pulling their clothes off and hitting them with a horse whip has been ordered to pay his victims compensation.

2 mins

Claim staff let down by sudden shop closure

The former senior manager of a recently closed Edinburgh dessert shop has hit out at the company which ran it, particularly for the way it treated the staff.

1 min

Rugby stars of the future train with their heroes on an inspirational day

A group of girls from Dunbar RFC have been put through their paces in a once-in-a-lifetime training session with some of Scotland's top tier rugby players.

1 min

CalMac handed £3.9bn contract for ferry routes

Ferry operator CalMac has been given a direct award of the contract for routes on the west coast, in what the Government says will cause a “change of ethos” for the service.

1 min

Scottish Government to lift alcohol ban on ScotRail trains next month

Blanket ban introduced during Covid pandemic to be removed

1 min

Cruise reveals Rain Man role landed in takeaway

Tom Cruise has revealed he landed his role in the Oscar-winning film Rain Man after a chance encounter inside a London takeaway with the film's star Dustin Hoffman.

1 min

Net migration down as study visa restrictions begin to bite

Net migration to the UK reached record levels in 2023 but has since started to fall, driven by a drop in the number of family members coming on study visas along with fewer arrivals on resettlement schemes. Here we look at the latest available figures on net migration and how they have changed in recent years.

1 min

Councillor given leave of absence due to ill health

An Edinburgh councillor has been granted leave of absence due to long-term ill health.

1 min

Seven-storey capsule hotel for city square

Work has begun on an exciting new seven-storey capsule hotel in the heart of Edinburgh.

1 min

Glitz, glamour and generosity at Maggie's fundraising lunch

A glitzy fundraising event held at Edinburgh's Sheraton Grand Hotel has raised £73,555 for cancer support charity Maggie's.

1 min

Why I’m backing Assisted Dying Bill for the terminally ill

This week, the Scottish Parliament is debating the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill at its first stage. It is a moment of real significance, a chance for us as lawmakers to show compassion and respect to those facing the most difficult of life's circumstances.

1 min

Sir Tom leaves a great legacy

Sir Tom Farmer, who has died aged 84, was born in Leith on 10 July 1940 and entered the tyre trade straight from school.

1 min

Kirsty lights way for journalism

The 2025 Bafta Television Awards showed how drama can move public policy.

1 min

PM Starmer becomes a Farage tribute act clone on immigration

While it was Sir Keir Starmer who stood at the Downing Street lectern to talk about immigration, the speech could have been delivered by Nigel Farage.

2 mins

Welcome for Swinney's rail announcement

The Tories called it flimsy, Labour claimed it stole their ideas and the Lib Dems said it lacked ambition.

1 min

Malaysian home cooking guide

Lauren Taylor chats to Julie Lin about classic dishes and soy sauce mistakes

2 mins

Vet advice for keeping pets safe from painful bee stings

The sunshine has arrived, which means flowers are blooming and the great outdoors looks more attractive than ever.

2 mins

Challenges to overcome on our latest tour

We made it to our Caravan and Motor home Escorted Tour in Germany! It was not without more challenges to overcome. We travelled from Hull to Rotterdam and when it was time to disembark the ferry, I noticed we had a flat car tyre.

1 min

East Lothian Home Manager shares remarkable nursing career journey on International Nurses' Day 2025

A Home Manager at HC-One Scotland's Drummohr Care Home in Wallyford, Musselburgh, East Lothian, has shared her remarkable personal nursing career journey to encourage others to consider a nursing career in the social care sector to mark International Nurses' Day on May 12, 2025.

2 mins

What's in a name? The family ties of one and only Chesney Hawkes

In recent years the term \"nepo baby\" has been used to criticise children of celebrities who take up a career in the industry their famous parents worked in.

2 mins

Caldentey's delight at winning WSL award

Arsenal's Mariona Caldentey was named Women's Super League player of the season at the inaugural Women's Professional Game awards in London.

1 min

Fin follows in grandad's footsteps with call-up

Fin Smith will fulfil a boyhood dream by emulating his grandad, having grown up playing in the same British and Irish Lions blazer and kit used by the Scotland prop in 1955.

1 min

How Hibs can take the points from St Mirren

This season’s previous trip to Paisley was not especially pleasant for followers of Hibernian Football Club.

1 min

Jambos star is happy to see end of Critchley era

Playmaker Dhanda grateful for the chance to shine

1 min

Read all stories from Edinburgh Evening News

Edinburgh Evening News Newspaper Description:

For nearly 150 years, Edinburgh Evening News has helped the voices of our community be heard. The Edinburgh Evening News is a daily newspaper and website based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded by John Wilson (1844–1909) and first published in 1873. It is printed daily, except on Sundays.

Much of the content of the Evening News concerns local issues such as transport, health, the local council and crime in Edinburgh and the Lothians. The paper has a significant number of journalists covering sport, with a dedicated reporter assigned to each of the city's football teams, Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian.