Quality of life

This is the first time an official United Nations-supported event has taken place in Scotland. Delegates from over 80 countries including national human rights institutions (NHRIs), international and regional experts, United Nations officials, government representatives, civil society and business organisations will discuss human rights issues on the theme of Business and Human Rights, and the role national institutions can play in improving human rights in a globalised world.

Edinburgh has won another quality of life accolade in a new study called PlaceIndex by respected opinion pollster YouGov. The study is based upon interviews with a representative sample of 10,000 respondents drawn from YouGov's online panel. The fieldwork was undertaken in July 2009.

"I want to die. I want a comet to hurtle down from the sky and flatten me like a pancake". Such a cheery bunch we Edinburgh lot are. That was the morning greeting of a dear friend of mine...she is no longer my friend.

I can't stand a misery guts. But then, in all fairness, we haven't really had a lot to cheer about of late, have we? Tram works. Garbage strikes. Ridiculous weather. The recession. Urgh!

Edinburgh attractions didn't experience the same upward trend in visitor numbers enjoyed by other parts of the country in 2008 according to a report by the Association of Leading Visitor Attraction

British pensioners and those who rely on savings for income are not feeling too festive this christmas after the Bank of England reduced interest rates, earlier this month, to levels not seen since

A new Edinburgh City Council report reveals a shift in the balance of care for the elderly away from residential accommodation towards tailor-made support for people in their own home.

According to a new study by the BBC and Sheffield University, Edinburgh is the loneliest place to live in the UK. In "Changing UK: the Way We Live Now" researchers compiled and rated areas across Britain using official statistical data from the Census to show how Britons are more demographically segregated "than at any time since the computerisation of census data (1966)."

An Edinburgh nursery has picked up an award for being the best in Britain. The Cowgate Under 5s centre run by the City of Edinburgh Council, won the Nursery World Awards 2008 at a ceremony in London on Friday last week.

Edinburgh's concentration of financial services companies means that it will be one of the first cities after London to feel the chill of the credit crunch, according to a new survey by accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young.

Edinburgh is the 6th most spectacular film location city in the world, according to a poll conducted by Sky Movies HD of around 1,000 film fans. At the top of the list came New York City followed by London and Rio De Janeiro in joint 2nd place, then Paris, Florence and Barcelona.

Edinburgh has been praised for its green credentials in a round-up of the world's most sustainable cities.

The City of Edinburgh Council was presented with two Beautiful Scotland awards at a ceremony yesterday. Edinburgh City Council won the City Award for the first time having impressed the judges during their tour of the city in August this year.

The City of Edinburgh has seen the biggest increase in population numbers in Scotland over the decade to June 2007, according to statistics released earlier today by the General Register for Scotland.

City centre businesses have voted to go ahead with an Edinburgh Business Improvement District (BID) - the first in the capital and the fifth such scheme in Scotland.

Channel 4's flagship property programme Location, Location, Location has rated Edinburgh this year's top place to live in the UK last night.