Chutney Mary shares Goan crab cake recipe to celebrate 35th anniversary
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The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish rocket builder Skyrora gets lift-off in Shetland
At the same time, the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has dramatically curtailed Russia's capacity to conduct missions as the number of launches from its soil has fallen from 339 in 2021 to just 19 in 2023 and 17 in 2024. Europe has been particularly impacted by this. Read more: Meanwhile Donald Trump's "America First" policies and the US President's fall-out with Elon Musk of SpaceX have injected renewed vigour into the race to ramp up independent launch capabilities in Europe. At the moment the continent's only spaceport is in the South American region of French Guiana, more than 4,000 miles from Paris. Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket successfully launched from there earlier this year, more than 10 years after it was commissioned and five years later than originally planned. Scotland has set its sights on becoming a leader in the European coterie of aspiring space nations, and has moved a significant step closer to achieving this ambition with today's announcement that Skyrora has become the first company in the UK to be granted permission for for vertical rocket launches that company plans to carry out from the SaxaVord spaceport in the Shetland Isles. SaxaVord was granted permission to conduct launches by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in December 2023, making it the UK's first licenced spaceport. The SkyLark team in Cumbernauld (Image: Skyrora) 'It is essential that the UK has sovereign launch capabilities," says Volodymyr Levykin, founder and chief executive of Skyrora. "Not only to unlock commercial activity for companies that need to access space and to help achieve the government's objectives for becoming a global player in the space sector, but also from a strategic defence consideration." Growing global uncertainty exemplified by the Russian invasion of Ukraine underscores the truth of this statement from Mr Levykin, whose company has suffered the direct effects of the war in his home country. A 1998 graduate from the Zaporizhzhia National Technical University with a Master's degree in computer science, Mr Levykin spent his early career working in the online dating sector. This included a spell as an executive at the now-defunct Cupid dating empire based in Edinburgh. He moved to Silicon Valley to run another IT company based there after selling his shares in Cupid, but returned to his former home in [[Edinburgh]] to set up Skyrora and its parent company Skyrora Ventures in 2017. The rocket company has been making its SkyLark vehicles from a facility at the back end of an industrial estate in Cumbernauld since July 2022. Read more: About half of Skyrora's employees are located in Ukraine, where the "Rocket City" of Dnipro was home to Soviet space rocket manufacturing during that era. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the remnants of its space program in Ukraine were reorganized into their own space agency. Mr Levykin founded Skyrora shortly after the UK government introduced the Space Industry Bill to support development of the national sector, and naturally sought out the expertise in his homeland to bolster capability within the business. Being a rocket company in a war zone following the invasion, operations were quickly upended as new systems were put in place to protect the technology and the company's people. It's one of many obstacles that Skyrora has overcome to reach today's licencing announcement ahead of a programme that is expected to reach 16 launches per year by 2030. "Becoming the first home-grown company in the UK to receive a launch operator licence is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone at Skyrora," Mr Levykin said. "We are pleased to be able to move forward with our launch plans. "Given that operators like us, alongside the CAA, have been forging a new path, the journey to getting our UK licence has been a long but ultimately rewarding one." Read more: Others are due to follow with another Scottish rocket manufacturer, Orbex, now aiming to achieve its first satellite launch from SaxaVord in 2026. Orbex put work on its own spaceport in Sutherland on hold in December of last year following the surprise announcement that it had come to an agreement with former rival SaxaVord to use its launch facilities. Orbex is now focusing on the development of rockets designed specifically for launch from the Unst site. This has raised questions about the financial viability of the Sutherland spaceport going forward, but regardless of how that plays out, Scotland continues to boast outsized capability in the orbital economy with "end-to-end" expertise ranging from launchpads and rocket manufacturing to satellite construction and downstream data crunchers. It has been estimated that by 2030, the international market for launch, satellite, payload and space data services will be worth $1 trillion (£772 billion) annually. Scotland aims to capture about £4bn of this, a relatively small but nonetheless ambitious target that would go a long way towards revitalising the country's economy. Read more: In this sense, today's licencing announcement isn't limited to one company making rockets in Cumbernauld. "It's an exciting time for the Scottish space sector – an important industry which is playing a vital role in our Plan for Change, helping economic growth and employing thousands of people in good quality jobs across the country," Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said. "Glasgow, in particular, is a city and region with a huge role to play in the space race, with innovation in this field the focus of its £160 million UK Government-funded investment zone status. This zone, established with local partners, is expected to generate around £300m of initial private investment and support up to 10,000 jobs in the region."
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
New £100million indoor resort to open in the UK with ‘next generation waterpark' and thermal spas
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A huge Therme spa complex with a huge indoor waterpark, pools and slides, is still coming to Glasgow. Therme Group has plans to open multiple new sites across the globe, including one in Scotland. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The tropical oasis in Scotland is still in the works Credit: Therme Since the announcement of its opening back in 2021, there haven't been many updates on the upcoming Therme Scotland. But the company confirmed the build was still going ahead in a recent Instagram update. On social media it created a post about Therme's new destinations across the globe which included Manchester and Glasgow. The new attraction is planned to open in central Glasgow next to the Riverside Museum at a cost of £100million. The site will have a "next-generation indoor waterpark" with 35 water slides, 25 pools which are both indoor and outdoor, and a wave pool. There will be more relaxing areas too like thermal spas, wellbeing garden, sauna, steam room and exotic relaxation areas. The initial plans in 2021 also included a bridge being built across the River Kelvin. This would link the Riverside Museum to Therme Scotland and expanding access to the Glasgow waterfront. At the time of its announcement in 2021, Therme Group CEO Stelian Iacob said: "Therme Scotland will create a fun and accessible experience with profound health and wellbeing benefits for all. "We look forward to engaging with the Glasgow community as we progress with the design and development of Therme Scotland.' 4 The interior could look like the Manchester designs Credit: Therme 4 The Manchester Therme will have high walkways and lots of slides Credit: Therme Therme Manchester was initially announced in March 2020 with an initial opening in 2024 - however it is still in the works. The attraction bosses have said the first major construction phase will start later in 2025. The huge complex was predicted to take between 24 and 30 months to build, so it could mean that it's might not be open until 2028. Costs have risen too, initially the build was set to be £250million, this has since jumped to £400million. When the Manchester site does open, it will have a waterpark with 25 swimming pools, 35 water slides and even an indoor beach. And it will be 33C all-year round so visitors can enjoy it whatever the weather. Therme Spa is known for its affordability, at the site in Bucharest, one day entry tickets cost from €36 (£31.28). One woman even flew herself and her mum out to the Therme Spa in Romania because it was cheaper than a spa day trip in the UK. Flights and spa passes for the pair set them back £315 - rather than the £400 at the spa in their neighbourhood. For anyone who can't get enough of spas, take a look inside the new spa woodland pods in the UK that make you feel like you're abroad. And check out this European beer spa where you bathe in hops with a pint - and you can get there by train.
Fashion United
2 hours ago
- Fashion United
India's Lenskart acquires 80 percent stake in Spanish brand Meller for over 40 million euros
Lenskart, the innovative Indian eyewear company, has acquired an 80 percent stake in Meller, a digitally native sunglasses brand based in Barcelona. The deal, valued at over 40 million euros, marks Lenskart's first strategic move into the European market. The acquisition was announced in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Board of India. According to The Times of India, the transaction involves payments of 406 million rupees (4.5 million euros), distributed between Meller's investors and its three founders—Sergi Benet, Borja Nadal, and Marco Grandi. Meller, founded in 2014, has built a successful digital-first model, with 96 percent of its sales occurring online. The brand has cultivated a strong following among younger consumers, amassing over 650,000 followers on Instagram and generating more than 25 million daily impressions. In 2024, Meller reported revenues of 28.3 million euros and an EBITDA of 5.8 million euros. Notably, Meller's production is already based in India, creating a strong operational synergy with its new parent company. Founded in 2010, Lenskart has become a global leader in the optical sector. With more than 2,500 physical stores and an annual distribution of over 30 million pairs of glasses, the company has developed a scalable omnichannel model that combines contemporary design with competitive pricing and in-house production. This acquisition was facilitated through Lenskart's Singapore subsidiary and is part of a broader expansion plan outside of Asia, supported by major investors like Softbank and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. The move comes as Lenskart prepares for a potential initial public offering (IPO), with a valuation that could reportedly exceed 5 billion dollars. In summary Barcelona-based company Meller, specialising in sunglasses, has been 80 percent acquired by the Indian group Lenskart for over 40 million euros. Meller, founded in 2014, stands out for its 100 percent digital model, online sales and a strong international presence, generating revenues of 28.3 million euros in 2024. Lenskart, an Indian optical giant with global ambitions, seeks to expand outside of Asia with this acquisition, backed by investors and preparing for a potential IPO. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
