Falkirk residents pushing council to tackle rats and rubbish

A couple say they are being 'unfairly penalised' after the council ordered them to half the height of their £10,000 garden fence. Susan Paul, 53, and her partner Andrew Doyle, 58, put up the fence outside their £280,000 property to replace an overgrown hedge back in January 2020.

The festive season may be over but as people ease into the first week of the new year there are two bank holidays which may affect payments due for those on certain benefits. There is also important information about Universal Credit payments due midweek, which some people mistakenly believe should have arrived before Hogmanay.

Long-running sparring partners Chris Sutton and Ally McCoist were split over their team of the year as the Celtic hero branded his pal "embarrassing" over one snub.

Castle Douglas Swimming Pool is in line for an upgrade.

A hotel in Perth has caught fire, prompting a major response from emergency services.

An effort is being made to reform a moribund grassroots umbrella group in Kirkcudbrightshire.

An environmental group is pushing on with plans for a new base in the Stewartry.

Two men and a woman have been convicted of causing a disturbance at a house in Coltness.

If you’re planning a wedding right now, we know how stressful it can be. So, to help, we’ve rounded up some of the top venues around to ensure your special day is as stress-free and memorable as possible.

Convinced Kris Commons believes there's a compelling case not one Rangers player would get into the current Celtic team.

Two helicopters collided in an Australian tourist hotspot earlier today, killing four passengers and critically injuring three others.

Emma Roberts rang in 2023 with a new addition to her family.On Sunday, the actress announced via Instagram that she had adopted a Chihuahua/Dachshund puppy from a Los Angeles based animal rescue called The Labelle Foundation.The 31-year-old star of Amazon's hit holiday film, About Fate, shared the news of giving the pooch his 'furever home' by posting his adorable photoset to her Instagram Story. Precious pooch: Emma Roberts adopted a puppy called Skunk from the Labelle Foundation to kick off New YearsAccording to The Labelle Foundation's bio of the pooch they called 'Skunk,' he and his siblings were found as strays in early December and were suffering from Parvo, a highly contagious disease that spreads through contact with other infected dogs or contaminated objects.The tiny mutt prevailed over his illness and is said to love people and 'wants to be held or tucked in a jacket whenever possible.'On Saturday, Emma was seen holding hands with her beau Cody John in a retrospective album she posted on New Year's Eve.

Jamie Dutton shockingly announced he was moving to impeach his own father Governor John Dutton on Sunday night’s midseason finale of Yellowstone on the Paramount Network as part of his plan to take over as Governor of Montana himself.'I have called this emergency meeting of the Assembly to address an egregious act of dereliction,' Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley), as attorney general of the state, said. 'In canceling funding for the Paradise Valley regional airport and surrounding residential, commercial and mixed communities, Governor Dutton has violated state law and his sworn oath of office to act in the best interests of the state.'Jamie’s call for impeachment tribunal was swiftly voted on by the legislature after he explained that his father had robbed the state of billions of dollars of revenue and threatened the state with litigation and that those actions will have devastating consequences to our constituents.

The Black Eyed Peas donned rainbow-colored armbands in support of the LGBTQ community during their New Year's Eve concert in Poland sponsored by state media TVP.The quartet made the fashion statement in an apparent response to anti-LGBTQ views promulgated by government officials.The four members of the musical group - will.i.am, Apl.de.ap, J. Rey Soul and Taboo - all wore rainbow armbands as they were the featured performers for TVP's show New Year's of Dreams, and wore them through their set.  The latest: The Black Eyed Peas donned rainbow-colored armbands in support of the LGBTQ community during their New Year's Eve concert in Poland sponsored by state media TVPThe fashion statement drew the ire of members of the country's Law and Justice Party (PiS), which is currently in charge under President Andrzej Duda, and has an anti-LGBTQ agenda.The party's Marcin Warchol tweeted, 'LGBT promotion in TVP2.

Anderson Cooper and Benjamin Maisani took their sons Wyatt and Sebastian out in New York City on Sunday afternoon just hours after hosting CNN's New Year's Eve festivities.The 55-year-old broadcaster wore a big black jacket with a pair of matching pants and casual sneakers. He pulled a black cap with the Caterpillar construction logo in the center of the hat.  Out with the kids: Anderson Cooper and Benjamin Maisani took their sons Wyatt and Sebastian out in New York City on Sunday afternoonMaisani, 49, wore a brown jacket and a pair of blue jeans. He walked in beat up white sneakers.  His gray hair was cut short on the sides though he left some length on top of her head. The France native held his two-year-old son Wyatt who wore a bright red and blue jacket.  Bundled up: The 55-year-old broadcaster wore a big black jacket with a pair of matching pants and casual sneakers CAT cap: He pulled a black cap with the Caterpillar construction logo in the center of the hat Casual outfit: Maisani, 49, wore a brown jacket and a pair of blue jeans.

John Travolta and his daughter Ella Bleu rang in the New Year by sharing a message together on Instagram.On Sunday, the superstar actor, 68, shared the short video with his 4.7M followers and captioned the post, 'Happy new year everyone!' In the short clip, the Grease icon and his daughter sat across from each other at a white table and spoke in tandem, saying, 'We love you, and Happy New Year.' Rining in 2023: John Travolta and his daughter Ella Bleu shared a New Year's message together on Instagram saying, 'We love you, and Happy New Year everyone!'The 22-year-old daughter of Travolta and Kelly Preston made her acting debut in 2009's Old Dogs, which starred both her mother and father. The performer went on to appear in 2019's The Poison Rose, which saw her father costarring alongside Morgan Freeman. In addition to Ella, Travolta also has a 12-year-old son named Benjamin, and his late son Jett, died at 16 of a seizure in 2009.  Happy family: Travolta is a parent to daughter Ella Bleu and son Benjamin, 11 (pictured) Leading lady: Last year, it was announced that the actress would be making further strides in her acting career by starring in the upcoming film Get Lost 2022 was a hard year for John as two of his dear friends and costars passed away. Kristie Alley died last month on December 5th at the age of 71, and his Grease costar Olivia Newton-John died in August at the age of 73. Travolta posted a memorial to Kirstie in the wake of her passing and wrote, 'Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I've ever had.

Saweetie rocked a black leather biker jacket on Sunday, leading celebs at a star-studded football game in Los Angeles.The rapper, 29 – who debuted her icy blonde bob in November – watched the Chargers crush the Rams at SoFi Stadium, 31 to 10.The My Type hitmaker sported a cartoon ball cap and came bedazzled in jewelry, commanding attention and stealing the spotlight.  Sweet Sunday: Saweetie, 29, rocked a black leather biker jacket on Sunday, leading celebs at a star-studded football game in Los AngelesThe Tap In rapper nursed a margarita as she watched the game with a couple of friends.  Chanel necklaces sparkled around her neck as a pair of sizable hoops adorned her ears. Saweetie is known to be a major sports fan, especially when it comes to football. Her grandfather Willie Harper was a linebacker for the 49ers and her dad played college football. In an interview with Yahoo! Sports in 2022, she said football was the first sport she remembers playing as a child.  Thirsty fan: The Tap In rapper nursed a margarita as she watched the Chargers crush the Rams at SoFi Stadium, 31 to 10 Watching in style: The My Type hitmaker sported a cartoon ball cap and came bedazzled in jewelry, commanding attention and stealing the spotlightThe Grammy-nominated artist also described how she almost played the sport in high school'When I was a sophomore in high school,' she said, 'they were trying to make me play for the team, because they saw me throw a football in PE.

Olivia Munn and John Mulaney spent time with a number of friends as they journeyed through New York City on Saturday night. The 42-year-old actress shared several clips throughout the city with the 40-year-old comedian at her side. In the first clip she posted, The Newsroom actress sat alongside a pair of friends with big 'Happy New Year' tiaras.  New Year's Eve odyssey: Olivia Munn and John Mulaney spent time with a number of friends as they journeyed through New York City on Saturday nightThe trio danced to Harry Styles' hit song As It Was from his album Harry's House which came out last year.  Her next photo showed both herself and John with a couple different friends including Crazy Ex-Girlfriend writer Rachel Specter as Made You Look by Meghan Trainor played over the picture. Munn and Mulaney also seemed to hang out with their friend Dan Levy, a comedian who was on the road in Florida with John just a month ago.  Out and about: The 42-year-old actress shared several clips throughout the city with the 40-year-old comedian at her side Friends: Her next photo showed both herself and John with a couple different friends including Crazy Ex-Girlfriend writer Rachel Specter as Made You Look by Meghan Trainor played over the picture Behind the scenes: Munn and Mulaney also seemed to hang out with their friend Dan Levy, a comedian who was on the road in Florida with John just a month agoOlivia ended her Instagram Story with a photo and video from an elevator with Just Mulaney in which she donned a tiny white dress under a long black coat. She pulled her black stockings up her strong, long legs, and she removed her shoes in the elevator.John kept classy in a long black trench coat which he wore over a fashionable gray suit.

Brooke Shields is never at a loss for sharing some words of wisdom.And on Sunday, the actress and model thought New year's Day would be the perfect to pass along a message of renewal to her 1.6 million Instagram fans and followers along with a black-and-white photo of herself frolicking along with beach.'A fresh start,' the New York City native, 57, began in the caption, before adding, 'Happy New Year, everyone! All my love. xx.' New year blessing: After pushing for a 'fresh start', Brooke Shields, 57, offered her love while wishing her 1.6 million Instagram fans and followers a 'Happy New Year'For the photo, Shields appeared to only be wearing a long white sweatshirt and bikini bottoms.She can be seen flashing a big beaming smile while running along the shoreline, skipping her way in a few inches of the ocean water as the waves came crashing in.