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Lecturers and support staff at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) have moved closer to a formal vote on strike action over possible job losses.

Consultative ballots of EIS and Unison members have backed taking industrial action if necessary if there is no guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.

The university had a deficit of £14.4m in 2023/24 and its governing body has agreed and £8.4m deficit for the current financial year.

The unions could now move to a statutory strike vote if there is no progress in talks about further cost-cutting measures. UWS said it was "disappointing that our recognised trade unions will not engage with us in relation to the ongoing organisational change project".

People have been reminded that a ban on drones has been put in place around the TT course during practice and race periods.

The restrictions come into force one hour before roads close for racing until all of them have been re-opened on each day of the event.

A spokesman for the Isle of Man's Civil Aviation Authority said the rules applied to all devices, regardless of size or weight.

Anyone caught breaching the ban could face a fine of up to £10,000.

Deputy director of civil aviation Colin Gill said the ban was vital as the airspace was used "by emergency and filming helicopters before, during and after racing and while practising was taking place".

They could also pose a "serious distraction to riders", and marshals had been told to report sightings immediately, which could lead to a practice or race session being halted, he said.

"No fly zones" were put in place to "ensure the safety of participants and that the events remain a safe and enjoyable spectacle of racing", he added.

The ban covers the airspace above the course within 0.6 miles (1km) of the outside of the track.

Additional restrictions will also be in place on 5 June when the Red Arrows are due to perform over Douglas Bay.

That will see drones banned within 6 miles (9.7km) of the island's capital from 19:20 until 20:10 BST.

Drones used by organisers for coverage of the event have permission to do so, and work in conjunction with race control.

The resignation of Zia Yusuf as Reform UK's chairman matters because he was a central character in the stand out trend in British politics since the general election – the rise and rise of Nigel Farage's party.

After 11 months in the role, Yusuf said on Thursday that working to get the party elected was no longer "a good use of my time", without expanding further.

Farage described Yusuf as a huge factor in Reform's success in last month's elections, but added that he believed he had "had enough" of politics.

It comes after Yusuf said it was "dumb" for Reform's newest MP to call for a ban for the burka – a veil worn by some Muslim women that covers the face and body.

I first met this thirty-something Muslim son of Sri Lankan immigrants, a former Conservative, when he was unveiled by Reform almost exactly a year ago, as a donor who had just handed the party £200,000.

Yusuf is a self-made multi-millionaire after setting up and then selling Velocity Black, a luxury concierge service.

Not long after his donation to Reform, he was offered and accepted the job of party chairman. And he wouldn't just be someone behind the scenes, he would be a public figure too.

So how can we measure how important this moment is?

I reckon there are three things worth examining as we assess Zia Yusuf's contribution to Reform UK.

Firstly, money. Yusuf is a rich man, and giving away £200,000 is generous by any one's book. But Reform UK received £2.8m in donations last year, so the party isn't reliant on his money.

Secondly, Yusuf's heritage and ethnicity. To expand in popularity, let alone win a general election, Reform needs to widen its appeal. Having a minority ethnic man as one of its figureheads helped temper the criticism from rival parties that Reform, or at least some of its members or supporters, were racist.

And thirdly, his organisational abilities. Yusuf is credited with building much of the infrastructure up to now that Reform is attempting to assemble at lightning speed, to turn them from an insurgency into general election winners in just a handful of years. And now he is gone. The party has soared during his tenure, but it is also true that the now former chairman put rather a lot of noses out of joint within Reform.

"Were his interpersonal skills at the top of his list of attributes? No," Farage told GB News.

Staff shown the door would joke that they had been "Goldman sacked" – a reference to Zia Yusuf's former employer, the investment bank Goldman Sachs.

Plenty tell me the grumbles about his approach to running the party ran well beyond the gripes you can find in any workplace about the bosses.

Farage and the parties he has led – the UK Independence Party, the Brexit Party and Reform UK – have one heck of a track record of bust ups, fall outs, sackings and resignations.

Douglas Carswell, Diane James, Patrick O'Flynn, Godfrey Bloom, Suzanne Evans, Ben Habib, Rupert Lowe, the list goes on and on. And now Zia Yusuf.

The big reason why this latest departure really matters is it is a stark reminder that a central ingredient in the rapid scaling up of Reform UK is going to be the hiring of staff who stick around long enough to help turn it into a potentially election-winning machine.

The party is attempting something utterly unprecedented and while the force of Farage's personality has and can take them a long way, bringing in a range and depth of expertise at least some of whom can last the course will be central too.

Farage has never managed that before.

And right now, he has to find himself a new chairman.

A new vaccine against gonorrhoea will be rolled out in Scotland in August following a UK-wide rise in cases.

The illness, which is the second most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in Scotland is potentially painful and in rare cases can be life-threatening.

Scottish cases have risen in recent years, with 5,999 infections in 2023 – a rise of 59% from before the Covid pandemic.

Those eligible for the vaccine will include gay and bisexual men at highest risk of infection, as well those involved in selling or exchanging sex, regardless of their gender.

A service to support pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs will be set up at a Hereford primary school.

The scheme at Trinity Primary School will aim to help them re-engage with their learning and build the skills and confidence needed to reintegrate into mainstream education when appropriate.

Herefordshire Council said similar models in other schools in the county had shown "significant success in improving outcomes" for those with SEMH needs.

From 1 September, the school will host a dedicated base designed to provide "long-term structured support" for up to 16 pupils.

Those with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), a legal document describing a child or young person's special educational needs, will be eligible.

Placements would be allocated through the EHCP process to ensure each pupil "receives tailored support in a suitable environment", the council said.

The school will manage the base, with oversight from the local authority, which said the decision to set it up followed a public consultation and "careful consideration of stakeholder feedback".

Head teacher Lyndsey Manning said: "Creating a SEMH base within our school is the next step in enhancing our SEND [special education needs and disabilities] provision and ensuring all pupils can thrive within Trinity's nurturing and inclusive setting."

Volunteers who have spent years tidying a disused cemetery have been praised for their "inspiring" efforts.

Since 2018, the Friends of Hull General Cemetery group have spent their free time clearing the site, off Spring Bank West, of litter, as well as cleaning graves and documenting them.

Elizabeth Dillon, policy and partnership manager at Hull City Council, said the group is "incredible", adding: "Their dedication and hard work is truly inspiring, and we are committed to providing the equipment they need to continue their valuable work."

The group said it had noticed a "significant reduction in litter and fly-tipping" since work began, suggesting "an increased respect for the green space".

As well as picking up litter, the volunteers have cleared graves of vegetation and and cleaned headstones.

Pat Insall, a member of the group, said: "We need the green spaces in the city especially so that people can have a walk around. It's such an attractive area with different, old gravestones and headstones. They are really interesting for people to look at.

"[Hull General Cemetery] is something that needs to be cherished and kept in a good way."

Karen Towner, secretary of The Friends of Hull General Cemetery, said the group had also documented 54,000 burial reports for their website, which also contains photographs of all the monuments in the cemetery.

"Most people will have an ancestor – a great, great aunt, or a great, great grandfather or mother – in these cemeteries," she said.

"It's a wonderful place. We're so lucky to have this green space."

Ms Towner encouraged others to join the group and extolled the benefits for physical and mental health.

She said: "You're out in nature. You have all these wonderful monuments around you, which are a work of art in themselves, and you're exercising.

Volunteers meet at the cemetery every Monday from 10:00 to 12:00 BST, and every first Sunday of the month from 13:30 to 15:00 BST.

Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Soundslatest episode of Look North here.

Jessica Morgan-Helliwell admits she would rather meet her mates for a pastry than a pint.

The 26-year-old is part of a growing number of people flocking to craft or artisan bakeries in pursuit of a flaky croissant.

"I do find myself these days more inclined to go for a coffee and a nice walk than going out and feeling a bit hungover the next day. I could be a pastry pilgrim," she said.

Jessica and her mum, Louise, from Swansea, think nothing of travelling across the UK and beyond in pursuit of delicious bakes, photos and videos of which they then share online with their followers.

Two teenagers have been arrested after a 13-year-old girl was attacked on the Tyne and Wear Metro.

It happened near to Wallsend station in North Tyneside on Friday at about 19:55 BST, Northumbria Police said.

The girl was taken to hospital with "extensive bruising and a sprained wrist", the force added.

Two girls, also aged 13, were arrested on suspicion of common assault by beating and have been released on bail.

A force spokesman said the pair had already left the scene when officers arrived.

Bail conditions mean they are banned from entering any Metro station or travelling on the trains without an adult.

'Avoid online speculation'

Ch Insp Dave Morrison said the victim had been left shaken and was being given support.

He added: "We are aware of footage and information circulating online, and it's vitally important that the public refrain from sharing these posts and speculating both online and in the community."

He added enquiries were ongoing and urged anyone with information to contact police.

Erika Allen, security director at Nexus, which operates the Metro, said it was working closely with police and reviewing all available CCTV.

She added: "Offending like this cannot be tolerated on Metro and anyone who gets caught faces prosecution, a criminal record, and a possible ban from travelling on the system."