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Planning permission for new Scottish AI datacentres suspended for up to a year

16 September 2026 at 19:28

MSPs vote for strict environmental impact assessments and will delay decisions until national strategy is developed

Holyrood has voted to pause planning applications for all new AI datacentres for up to a year until the Scottish government has developed a national strategy.

On Wednesday, MSPs backed a Scottish Labour motion to halt new schemes for up to 12 months while rules on hyperscale datacentres are developed in what could be a blow to the British government’s AI strategy.

A Hidden Arctic Ocean Crisis Is Unfolding Beneath the Melting Ice

SciTechDaily

By: University of Edinburgh

31 May 2026 at 16:41

Polar Research Vessel RV Kronprins Haakon Fram Strait Arctic Ocean

Scientists say melting sea ice may have pushed the Arctic Ocean past a tipping point, triggering changes that could reshape marine life for decades. Scientists have identified what appears to be a major and potentially irreversible change in the Arctic Ocean. According to a new study, climate-driven sea ice loss has altered the region’s chemistry [...]