Shetland Islands Broadcasting Company

Of 187 councils in the UK providing information, the Shetland Islands Council was one of only seven councils which had not approved savings to the budget for the current financial year.

It is thought that about 6,000 people in Shetland suffer from arthritis. This is based on figures issued as Scotland marked World Arthritis Day yesterday, with about one and a half million people in Scotland having arthritis and related conditions.

A coastguard helicopter based at Sumburgh was tasked to the Clair platform, 30 nautical miles north-west of Eshaness. This was to take a platform worker in need of medical attention to the emergency landing site in Lerwick.

There was a search off the Channel Islands for a guest who fell overboard from the cruise ship Virtuosa while sailing from Carta-gena in Spain to Southampton. A French rescue helicopter found the person and lifted them from the water, after which they were pronounced dead. At 181,541 gross tonnes the MSC Virtuosa is the largest cruise ship to call at Lerwick, that being on the 20th of May, having cancelled the previous week due to the weather.

This weekend should see the end of the project for the life extension of the linkspans of the Shetland Islands Council’s ferry terminals. The last of the work, the replacement of the Lerwick linkspan, is underway, despite heavy rain at times.

Until Monday morning the Bressay ferry will be operating to an alternative timetable. This will be as a foot-passenger-only service, with access via the gangway from the vessel to the quayside in Lerwick, and via the gangway to the ramp at the Bressay ferry terminal.

The SNP member of the Scottish parliament for the Highlands & Islands Emma Roddick has renewed her call for free bus travel for under 22s to be expanded to include inter-island ferries.

Alistair Carmichael has publicly backed plans for the continued development of the Rosebank oil field, 85 nautical miles west-north-west of Unst.