Could AI misinformation sway the Scottish election?
Persuasive AI assistants, deepfakes and bots are now commonplace. But could they be used by bad actors to influence Scotland’s elections?
Could AI misinformation sway the Scottish election?
Persuasive AI assistants, deepfakes and bots are now commonplace. But could they be used by bad actors to influence Scotland’s elections?
Salmon company lashes out at own industry over ‘honesty’ on lice
A well known salmon farming company was told by Scottish Government inspectors to cut lice numbers at three of its sites in Sutherland. It responded by suggesting that other salmon farmers were failing to report lice numbers accurately.
Inside House 88: The former home of the SS officer who ran Auschwitz
The Ferret visited Poland to visit House 88, the former home of Rudolf Höss, the SS officer who ran the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. The house is being transformed into a global centre to fight extremism.
Political parties took thousands from lobbying groups in Scotland. Campaigners say they are buying access to power
Political parties have accepted thousands of pounds from lobbyists in recent years. Anti-corruption campaigners claimed donations buy lobby firms “privileged access” to politicians for their wealthy clients.
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Latest
Poland's Jewish revival: In the shadow of Auschwitz
We visited the Polish city of Krakow ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day which is held to remember the millions murdered by the Nazis – including six million Jews. Krakow's Jewish population was decimated then but the city is now home to one of the fastest-growing Jewish communities in the world.
Why can’t I get an appointment with my GP?
The pressing need to address difficulties the Scottish public reports in getting an appointment with their GP was raised in last week’s budget. So will new funding and proposals for walk-in surgeries help? What are the underlying reasons for the issue?
Concern over bid to exempt organic food certification from public scrutiny
Campaigners asked for inspection reports on organic salmon farms in Scotland. It led to an appeal which could limit the public right to access environmental information.
The UAE is accused of arming a genocidal militia in Sudan. The Scottish Government wants closer ties
The Scottish Government's "courting" of the Gulf state comes as human rights groups raise allegations about its role in Sudan’s devastating war.
Scotland’s prisoner transport provider is linked to Trump’s ICE migrant hunters
Scotland’s prison transport operator has been condemned for performance failures. It’s co-owned by a US corporation supplying bounty hunters for Donald Trump’s mass deportation initiative.
Farmed salmon were treated with a lot more drugs than the industry said
The credibility of the salmon farming industry has come under attack after it admitted underestimating by 66 per cent the amount of antibiotics used to treat diseased fish in 2024.
This Highland estate took £1.5m in taxpayer cash but let deer run riot across protected areas
Scottish authorities had to intervene to keep deer numbers down at a Sutherland estate after the overpopulated animals damaged protected areas. Meanwhile, the landowner has received vast sums of public money.
Claim that video shows bagpiper playing over call to prayer in Scotland is False
A video showing a man playing bagpipes during a Muslim call to prayer was widely shared on social media this
Investigations
Poland's Jewish revival: In the shadow of Auschwitz
We visited the Polish city of Krakow ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day which is held to remember the millions murdered by the Nazis – including six million Jews. Krakow's Jewish population was decimated then but the city is now home to one of the fastest-growing Jewish communities in the world.
Concern over bid to exempt organic food certification from public scrutiny
Campaigners asked for inspection reports on organic salmon farms in Scotland. It led to an appeal which could limit the public right to access environmental information.
The UAE is accused of arming a genocidal militia in Sudan. The Scottish Government wants closer ties
The Scottish Government's "courting" of the Gulf state comes as human rights groups raise allegations about its role in Sudan’s devastating war.
Scotland’s prisoner transport provider is linked to Trump’s ICE migrant hunters
Scotland’s prison transport operator has been condemned for performance failures. It’s co-owned by a US corporation supplying bounty hunters for Donald Trump’s mass deportation initiative.
Fact Checks
Lord Offord's historical immigration claim is Mostly False
Reform UK's Malcolm Offord claimed one million people came to the UK in the 20th century, and seven million people have come to the UK since 2000. This is not accurate.
SNP claims about Rachel Reeves ‘chaos budget’ are Mostly True
Ferret Fact Service looked at SNP claims about the UK Government budget on energy bills, taxes and unemployment.
Claim English drug deaths ‘written out of figures’ is False
The level of drug-related deaths in Scotland has been persistently high in recent years, with the Scottish Government facing criticism
Claim about the costs of asylum support, benefit fraud and tax avoidance is Mostly False
The cost of asylum support in the UK has become a febrile issue against a backdrop of a rising number
Long reads
Poland's Jewish revival: In the shadow of Auschwitz
We visited the Polish city of Krakow ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day which is held to remember the millions murdered by the Nazis – including six million Jews. Krakow's Jewish population was decimated then but the city is now home to one of the fastest-growing Jewish communities in the world.
Far-right agitators stand accused of stirring up trouble at asylum hotel protests. But anti-racists are standing firm
Following a sharp rise in far right activity, we’ve spent the last three months attending protests, speaking to activists under threat, and tracking anti-asylum seeker demonstrations across Scotland.
It takes a village: a new approach to living with flooding
Dr Fiona Work, a former nurse, remembers December 2012 vividly. “I had gone to my friends and had a call
Power struggle: The billionaire, the Chinese oil giant and Grangemouth’s forgotten workers
Grangemouth should have been Scotland’s big opportunity to realise its ambition for a just transition – moving workers into cleaner, greener jobs. But embittered power struggles got in the way, The Ferret finds.
Explained
Why can’t I get an appointment with my GP?
The pressing need to address difficulties the Scottish public reports in getting an appointment with their GP was raised in last week’s budget. So will new funding and proposals for walk-in surgeries help? What are the underlying reasons for the issue?
Why are Scottish wind farms paid billions to switch off?
Despite Scotland’s booming wind sector, turbines are still routinely paid not to spin. The Ferret unpacks why this happens, what makes it so costly, and what it means for your bills.
Is there a link between migration and crime?
Migration's alleged link to increased crime has been back in the spotlight in recent years, so we looked at the evidence.
FFS explains: why Grangemouth shut – and what happens next
The closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery in April has cast a long shadow over Scotland’s plans for a
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