Archive
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Servant writer master of his own destiny
THERE’S a school of thought which suggests Neil Forsyth must have uncovered some juicy personal material on a BBC Scotland commissioning editor, perhaps details of a deviant college prank involving stuffed pork, or some other lascivious activity.Just
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The Ferrie Files: Day Ten
SCOUTING REPORTAn 89,267 attendance was a tournament record, edging past the previous one set when New Zealand met Argentina at the same venue a week earlier as Wembley Stadium took on an emerald glow.That so many were drawn to this meeting of one of
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Warburton: my players were hurt by 'disrespectful' criticism after cup loss
MARK Warburton, the Rangers manager, accused the critics of disrespecting his players after the Ibrox side took out the frustrations of their midweek League Cup defeat to St Johnstone out on their Ladbrokes Championship rivals Morton. A hat-trick from
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Morton 0 Rangers 4: Waghorn leaves with the match ball as Rangers return to winning routine
IT is to be hoped that Martyn Waghorn's agent had the foresight to negotiate a generous goal bonus into his client's Rangers contract, with an added extra built-in for penalty kicks. The Geordie striker has never had a reputation for being prolific -
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Rangers cup romp at Ibrox was the latest success story for Tommy Wright and St. Johnstone
TOMMY Wright bristled visibly at the line of questioning he was met with following St. Johnstone’s stunning win over Rangers at Ibrox in the League Cup last Tuesday night. The focus in the wake of an emphatic 3-1 victory which had propelled the McDiarmid
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Real test of Aberdeen's mettle as Inverness inflict first league defeat
UNBEATEN runs are like good reputations; difficult to maintain and then so easily ruined. Aberdeen know as much to their cost. After eight successive victories, it seemed as if Derek McInnes’ side could do no wrong. And then, in the space of four days
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Celtic defender Mikael Lustig unfazed by the prospect of squaring up to Nani and Robin van Persie
THE Europa League is a more difficult competition than the Ladbrokes Premiership, Fenerbahce are a more formidable team than Hearts and Nani and Robin van Persie are more lethal finishers than Juanma and Osman Sow. Yet, Mikael Lustig is correct to speculate
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Independence boost as nationalist parties on course to take majority of seats in Catalonia's parliament
CATALONIA is on a collision course with Spain after nationalists won a majority of seats - but not votes - in parliamentary elections seen as a proxy independence referendum.Two slates campaigning for full Catalan sovereignty made dramatic headway amid
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Scotland 39 USA 16: second-half surge produces bonus-point win
TEN out of ten. Scotland displayed similar flaws against the United States yesterday to those they had shown against Japan four days earlier, but you cannot complain with the basic statistics: two games have each yielded five tries and five points, meaning
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Visser delighted to help spark second-half revival
FOR all the complexity of a Test match, sometimes you can really sum it all up in a few words. Scotland stuttered in the first half against the United States, and were fluent in the second. That explained the difference between a half-time deficit of
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Scotland are in a good place after two tough games
IN the first half of yesterday's match, Scotland let the Americans come to them. The US asked one or two questions of our midfield defence, which looked a bit fragile at times.There were too many unforced errors on our own ball in the first half, too.
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Russell and Gilchrist in doubt for Springboks game
THE Scotland camp faces an anxious 24 hours before learning whether Finn Russell will be fit to face South Africa on Saturday after the playmaker injured an ankle during yesterday’s 39-16 win over the United States. Russell was helped off the pitch in
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Scots wildlife photographer reveals battle "not to interfere" with nature
NATURE is supposed to test the survival of the fittest - so what happens when the heartstrings of wildlife camera crews are tugged?The film-makers behind some of the BBC's most famous natural history shows, including Scottish cameraman Doug Allan, have
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Trident renewal more likely after Labour leadership split
TRIDENT renewal looks increasingly certain today after Jeremy Corbyn signalled that Labour’s frontbench could be allowed to have a free vote on the controversial issue, bolstering the Conservative Government’s chances of success at Westminster. The move
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Independence for Catalonia one step closer as nationalists win majority of seats in election
Separatists have won a clear majority of seats in Catalonia's parliament, according an exit poll after an election that could set the region on a collision course with Spain's central government over independence. The main secessionist group
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David Farrell: From clogger to blogger to the author of a superb football autobiography
THOSE who watched David Farrell play football during what, in his own words, was a journeyman career must have thought they’d misheard that the clogger had become a blogger. No matter, the aforementioned blog has become something of an online phenomenon
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Mark Warburton: Rangers spurred on by cup criticism
Rangers manager Mark Warburton revealed his players were fired up by criticism of their League Cup display as they surged to a 4-0 victory over Morton. Martyn Waghorn netted a hat-trick and James Tavernier notched his eighth goal of the season
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Jackie McNamara pays the price of defeat to 10-man St Johnstone
The Dundee United board lost their patience with manager Jackie McNamara on the back of their 2-1 defeat by 10-man St Johnstone. McNamara was told his time at Tannadice was up in the immediate aftermath of their latest Ladbrokes Premiership defeat
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Michael Fassbender leads cast of Macbeth on red caret at premiere in Edinburgh
Michael Fassbender has led the cast of Macbeth on the red carpet as it received its UK premiere in Edinburgh. The Hollywood A-lister plays the title role in the new film adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy which is out in cinemas next week.
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Dugdale: Scottish Labour is reforming and ready to take on the SNP
Scottish Labour is reforming and is ready to take on a tired SNP administration more interested in a second referendum than governing in the interests of Scotland, Kezia Dugdale has said. The newly elected party leader said that unlike her predecessors
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David Walliams wanted to write book with Simon Cowell as the villain
Best-selling children's author David Walliams has revealed he once wanted to write a book with Simon Cowell as the leading villain. The 44-year-old said he thought he would write a book "about a record executive who's on TV who doesn't have a heart
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Emotional Hamilton equals Senna victory tally
LEWIS HAMILTON said he was in dreamland after he matched his boyhood hero Ayrton Senna's victory tally with an exhibition drive at the Japanese Grand Prix.Hamilton appeared to have his work cut out after he qualified behind pole-sitter Nico Rosberg for
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Dog had 40 quills removed from his face and mouth after porcupine attack
A starving dog had 40 quills removed from his face and mouth after being attacked by a Porcupine. Stuck in a very prickly situation the poor pooch - affectionately named Piney - really needed di-PINE intervention. Over a gruelling two hours, vet
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In pictures: Comic Con Scotland 2015 Day 2
Thousands of people have flocked to the MCM Scotland Comic Con at Glasgow's SECC this weekend. And the array of costumes over the two day event has been spectacular. This year special guests include Robert Llewellyn who plays
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Trident will not be voted on at Labour party conference
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will avoid a showdown over the renewal of the Trident nuclear missile system at his party conference because motions on the issue have not won approval. Delegates voted on a number of issues they want to debate during
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Clutha victims remembered at police memorial service
The victims of the Clutha helicopter tragedy have been remembered at an annual service for police officers who have died on duty. Families, colleagues, senior officials and politicians from throughout the UK joined a congregation of 1,200 people
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Woman subjected to serious sexual assault in lane near Glasgow Central Station
POLICE are hunting a rapist who attacked a woman near a city centre train station. A 24-year-old woman was walking near Central Station on Friday September 25, around midnight, when she was set upon by a man. He raped her in a nearby lane before
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Scotland 39 USA 16: second-half surge secures bonus point
A SHODDY first-half showing in which could go wrong did go wrong was replaced by a reassuring second half in which Scotland claimed their second bonus point in as many games. They are now back at the top of Pool B in the Rugby World Cup, having been temporarily
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Light the fires of enterprise
Even when attached to an impressive set of multimillion pound investment statistics, “regeneration” fails to fully convey the magnitude of planning that lies behind the headline. In anyone’s language, £67 million of public funds invested over the
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Man injured during Glasgow nightclub brawl
A MAN was seriously assaulted during a brawl at a city nightclub. The 22-year-old man was set upon after he tried to break up a fight between two other men at the Garage nightclub on Sauchiehall street early this morning. Two men, who were
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Morton 0-4 Rangers: Waghorn hat-trick extends Championship lead for Mark Warburton's side
RANGERS have moved nine points clear in the Championship title race after a 4-0 win over Morton at Cappielow this afternoon. Mark Warburton’s side bounced back from the midweek League Cup defeat to St Johnstone with a fine showing against the Ton
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Rosemary Goring: farewell to Cockenzie's twin towers
So farewell, Cockenzie Power Station. Its twin towers, East Lothian’s answer to Churchill’s victory salute, will be much missed, if not mourned. To my disappointment I wasn’t there to witness their demise, but I have watched the footage. As the explosives
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Cricket-Former England fast bowler Frank Tyson dies aged 85
Frank Tyson, the former England cricketer regarded as one of the fastest bowlers of all time, has died at the age of 85.He passed away at a hospital on Australia's Gold Coast. He emigrated to Australia after he retired from cricket in 1960, working as
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Poland to summon Russian envoy as diplomatic spat drags on
POLAND is to summon Russia's envoy after he said Warsaw was partly to blame for the outbreak of World War Two, continuing a spat which has seen the Polish ambassador in Moscow summoned twice in just over a week.Relations between the two countries have
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Police and Palestinians clash at Jerusalem holy site
Israeli police and Palestinians clashed on Sunday at Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound, where violence in recent weeks has raised international concern.No injuries or arrests were initially reported, after Palestinian youths, chanting "God is great
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'Great moment' as Nigeria declared almost free of polio
Nigeria is celebrating after the UN health agency said polio is no longer endemic in the West African country.The World Health Organisation announcement leaves only Pakistan and its war-torn neighbour Afghanistan as countries where the disease is prevalent
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Flaming chaos as arachnophobic driver sets light to petrol station
A man started a fire at a Michigan petrol station by putting a lighter to what he said was a spider near his car's fuel cap, in the second US case this week where motorist arachnophobia has caused mayhem.In the latest incident WJBK-TV said the man escaped
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Pope shares stage with Aretha Franklin and Andrea Bocelli
PHILDELPHIA: Pope Francis and an admiring throng of thousands enjoyed music from Aretha Franklin, Andrea Bocelli and others at the end of his first day in Philadelphia on his first US tour. Franklin led an all-star line up at the Festival of Families,
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Saudis hit back over hajj tragedy court threat by Iran
Philip Howardin New YorkSAUDI Arabia has hit back after Iran vowed to take legal action against the kingdom's rulers over the crush of Muslim pilgrims at this year's hajj, which killed at least 769 people, including 136 Iranians.Saudi Arabian foreign
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New £70m college HQ to be hub for engineering
Falkirk certainly sweats its collective assets, levering to the max the much vaunted benefits of working in partnership. A £70 million planned investment in a new college headquarters that welds together school, college, community, local employer
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The Young Beethoven, City Hall, Glasgow
The Young Beethoven, City Hall, GlasgowMichael TumeltyFour starsI FOUND the structure of Glasgow’s Beethoven series at the weekend, dividing the music between Young, Mature and Late periods in the composer’s life, a refreshing approach to presentation
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Beethoven: The Years of Maturity, City Hall, Glasgow
Beethoven: The Years of Maturity, City Hall, GlasgowMichael TumeltyThree StarsHAVING been somewhat reassured by the more-confident playing of the Elias String Quartet on Friday night in their contributions to The Young Beethoven concert in Glasgow’s on-going
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Betty and the Boy, Eastgate Theatre, Peebles
Betty and the Boy, Eastgate Theatre, PeeblesRob Adams FOUR STARSWhen Bettreena Jaeger announced during the second half that one of the first engagements Betty and the Boy will be fulfilling when they get back to Oregon is a collaboration with a ballet
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Peace, QM Union, Glasgow
Peace, QM Union, GlasgowLisa-Marie FerlaThree starsFor an awkward 30 seconds, I thought that Peace had arrived on stage and emptied the room.Instead, it was the vacuum effect of several hundred freshers rushing the stage to get close to the band: four
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De Villiers out of World Cup with broken jaw
SOUTH Africa’s resounding victory over Samoa has come at a price, with captain Jean de Villiers being ruled out of the World Cup with a broken jaw. Several other players, among them de Villiers’ centre partner Damian de Allende, were less seriously
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Magic Sho, Tron, Glasgow
Magic ShoTron, GlasgowMary Brennan FOUR STARSIt’s a razzle dazzle moment – Shona Reppe, dapper in her sparkle-edged tux and top hat, swishes on-stage and goes into her act. A dash of Fred Astaire in the footwork, a hint of va-va-voom in the set of her
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Leon Bridges, O2 ABC, Glasgow
Leon Bridges, O2 ABC, GlasgowJonathan GeddesThree starsAccording to Leon Bridges, his only aim at this gig was to “make people happy”. Judging by the hollering the sharp-suited Texan received at the end of this show it was mission accomplished, although
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Scottish Ballet, Theatre Royal, Glasgow
Scottish BalletTheatre Royal, GlasgowMary Brennan FIVE STARSThere’s a high octane shimmer of ‘who dares, wins!’ about this latest showing from Scottish Ballet. Originally designed as a double bill, the addition of Sophie Laplane’s Maze as a curtain-raiser
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Trident: key Labour policy set to be fudged, says union chief
LABOUR’S frontbench could be allowed to split on the crunch issue of Trident, Jeremy Corbyn has signalled, as a union leader predicted that the party hierarchy would “fudge” the controversial issue. The party leader is well-known for his opposition
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The Queen 'may make Balmoral her second home'
THE Queen may use Balmoral as her second home in the event of the death of the Duke of Edinburgh.Queen Elizabeth, who will be 90 next year, is believed to have expressed a wish to spend more time at her Highland retreat, should her husband die.She currently
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Stuart Bathgate’s Five-Minute Guide To Scotland v USA
Elland Road, Leeds, kick-off 2.30pm. Live on ITV.WHAT’S AT STAKE?With their two toughest games to come, Scotland need to back up their win over Japan with another solid victory today - ideally with a bonus point for scoring four tries or more. Any kind
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Corbyn attacks the SNP and says Labour is being reborn in Scotland
LABOUR is being reborn in Scotland, Jeremy Corbyn has insisted, as the new UK party leader described defending the Union as a class politics issue and derided Scottish Nationalism, saying: “Flags don’t build houses.” Mr Corbyn, who will travel
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ScotRail forced to hire carriages due to train shortages
THE opening of the new Borders Railway has left ScotRail so short of trains it may be forced to hire extra carriages.Rising demand across the network has seen travellers, both on the Borders line and across the Central Belt network, complain of overcrowding.The
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TV historian Neil Oliver: Talk of 2nd indy ref is a "cancerous presence"
Scottish televsion historian Neil Oliver has called the prospect of a second independence referendum a "cancerous presence". He came out in favour of a no vote during last year's referendum campaign, and in a interview with the Sunday Times today
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Nasa to announce major discovery on Mars
US space agency Nasa is to hold a 'major' press conference on Monday when it is expected to reveal a significant scientific breakthrough. Speculation is mounting scientsits may reveal they have found liquid water on the planet. If this is the case
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We all have regrets about our pasts. But do we deserve a "gotcha" moment?
AMERICAN comedian Bill Maher has described the tendency to try to score points against a political opponent by digging up sordid or embarrassing details from their past as a kind of “gotcha”. Maher was writing, back in 2005, about claims of “youthful
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Davie Wylie on Morton shocking Rangers at Cappielow before and hoping to do so again
THAT no situation is ever entirely hopeless was laid bare the last time Morton and Rangers faced each other in league action. It was April 1988 and Morton were on their way to being relegated from the top division, never to return. They had already lost
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St Johnstone 2 Dundee United 1: Time finally runs out for McNamara
This was another disaster for Jackie McNamara and the Dundee United side he will no longer manage. The former Scotland defender, following an abysmal run of seven league games without a win, paid for it all with his job.The Dundee United board were remaining
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England 25 Wales 28: Chariot in danger of crashing
A WHEEL fell off the chariot at Twickenham last night and, not for the first time, the decision-making of the man at the reins was open to scrutiny following another England defeat on home soil.Three years ago, Chris Robshaw was criticised for kicking
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Americans aim to lay down their own marker
THE USA team get fed up every World Cup when they are described as the sleeping giants of the game. It is a label they have been wearing for a couple of decades or more and still there are only hints that they might be about to waken.They know all about
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Hardie set to sit out Scotland's clash with USA
WITHIN 24 hours of announcing the team to play the USA today, Scotland have been forced into changes. John Hardie, who was controversially the only openside flanker in the World Cup squad, has been ruled out after failing a concussion test.This is where
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South Africa 46 Samoa 6: Six-try win takes Springboks to top of pool
MAKE no mistake, South Africa mean business at this Rugby World Cup.Their opening-game defeat by Japan will remain an indelible mark on their history, but they hit back in style yesterday to overwhelm Samoa with a six-try triumph that takes them to the
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VW... how the mighty have fallen
How the mighty have fallen. Volkswagen, the second-largest car maker in the word after Toyota, is now a toxic brand.Established in 1937, the “People’s Car” company, famed for design classics such as the Beetle and ubiquitous reliables such as the Golf
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Kilmarnock 1 Hamilton 2: Crawford sparks Accies comeback
Oh, how Kilmarnock are coming to rue that half-time whistle. For the second time in successive matches, they led at the interval only for their opponents to come roaring back to seal victory.Where they had succumbed to Hearts in the League Cup during
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Hearts refuse to break as Celtic rue missed chances
It’s been a week for unlikely news in our fair Capital. Forget the eye-brow raising reunion of the Bay City Rollers. It was the plundering of a point by 11 Edinburgh lads in the east end of Glasgow that was even more of a turn up for the books. Given
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Hibs 1 St Mirren 1
AFTER straining every sinew in their bodies to become the first team to shatter Aberdeen’s flawless domestic record in midweek, Hibernian manager Alan Stubbs’ fear that his team would suffer a hangover was realised in yesterday’s 1-1 draw with St Mirren.The
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All-the-way Lumiere dazzles in Cheveley Park at Newmarket
LUMIERE sent out a clear warning message to her potential rivals in next year's Qipco 1000 Guineas after emerging victorious in the Connolly's Red Mills Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.In what was one of the most anticipated two-year-old clashes of
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Craig Chalmers: USA match gives Scotland's back-up guys chance to make their marks
THE United States team are big guys with a very physical approach to the game. They are all good athletes, representatives of a sport which is reported to be the fastest-growing in America, where a new professional league is about to be launched. So they
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Batman, Captain America and manga characters in their hundreds - Welcome to Comic Con 2015
ON any other day, the sight of six young people walking in solemn single file in public, all of them calmly wearing a brightly-coloured TV monitor over their heads, might have caused a flurry of comment.Not this weekend, though. Not when the MCM Scotland
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Labour attacked for backing Osborne's deficit reduction charter
Tom Gordon Scottish Political Editor SHADOW Chancellor John McDonnell yesterday said Labour would back a controversial Tory policy as the party tries to rebuild its battered reputation for economic competence. Just two weeks after Jeremy
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Landmark Cockenzie power station chimneys razed to the ground
THEY were a landmark on the local skyline for half a century and a symbol of Scotland's once thriving coal industry.But yesterday the twin chimney stacks of Cockenzie Power Station in East Lothian were razed to the ground in a dramatic few seconds.Thousands
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Steven Caldwell takes the road less travelled
IT ended how it started... with just 45 minutes of football. Or, if you prefer, a half. Half the battle, half the game, half the whole. But Steven Caldwell doesn’t see it that way. For him, there are no half measures. His footballing life came to an end
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Middle East arch rivals bicker over haj pilgrimage disaster
The death toll in a crush at the annual haj pilgrimage outside Mecca rose to 769, Saudi Arabia said yesterday, as arch-rival Iran said Saudi officials should be tried in an international court for what it called a crime.The worst disaster to befall the
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Dugdale: Blame the last four leaders for the state of Scottish Labour
Tom GordonScottish Political KEZIA Dugdale will today dump the blame for Scottish Labour’s troubles squarely on her predecessors, accusing them of failing to react to voter discontent with the party. In a blunt speech to the UK Labour conference in Brighton
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Spy swap at border reminiscent of Cold War
Russia and Estonia exchanged two men accused of espionage at a remote border post yesterday in an episode reminiscent of a Cold War spy thriller that follows heightened tensions between the neighbours.Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said it handed
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City remembers 'darkest hour' as Battle of Loos centenary commemorated
HUNDREDS gathered in Dundee yesterday to mark the 100th anniversary of one of the biggest battles of the First World War, in which an estimated 21,000 British soldiers died.The Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and veterans
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Extremist charged with war crimes
An alleged Islamic extremist charged with being involved in the destruction of religious buildings in Timbuktu has been arrested and sent to the International Criminal Court to face justice. Ahmad Al Mahdi Al Faqi, known as Abu Tourab, is the first suspect
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Family of tragic Syrian refugee known as 'wetsuitman' in bid to visit his grave
THE family of a Syrian refugee known as "the wetsuitman" after his body washed up on a beach in the Netherlands when he tried to swim the Channel are calling for help to visit his unmarked grave. Mouaz Al Balkhi, 22, died last October after a failed
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Scotland's Ukip MEP in hot water after comparing Cameron with Nazi appeaser
SCOTLAND’s only Ukip MEP was last night at the centre of another foot-in-mouth row after likening the Conservative position on the EU to “appeasement” of the Nazis. David Coburn compared David Cameron to former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
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Religious privilege study finds increased church influence in education
A STUDY investigating how much privilege religion receives under Scottish law has found the influence of churches has increased in education over the past 140 years. The initial findings from the research, which was carried out by researchers at
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Labour disarray in South Lanarkshire: Holyrood candidate stands down as election agent suspended
SOUTH Lanarkshire Labour is in chaos after the council’s deputy leader stood down as a Holyrood candidate days after his election agent was suspended from the same local authority. Jackie Burns quit as a candidate for “personal reasons” amid a
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E.Coli, aluminium and lead ... the postcode lottery of Scotland’s drinking water
THOUSANDS of people across Scotland are endangering their health by drinking dirty water from private supplies, according to a new report from a Government watchdog. Tests in 2014 detected contamination by bacteria and metals in 4,400 samples from
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UN investigator postpones visit
An independent UN investigator into the human rights of migrants has postponed an official visit to Australia that was due to begin today, citing a lack of government cooperation and "unacceptable" legal restrictions.Asylum seekers have long
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Cross border attack
A district commander and a sergeant in Saudi Arabia's border guard have been killed in an attack launched from across the frontier with Yemen, the Saudi interior ministry said yesterday. The men were killed by heavy gunfire from the Yemen side of the
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Bombing re-enacted
Police in Thailand led two suspects to the scene of last month's Bangkok bomb blast for a re-enactment of their alleged crimes yesterday, a day after police said one of the men was responsible for planting the bomb that killed 20 people. Fourteen foreigners
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Crackdown on coup leaders
Burkina Faso yesterday froze the assets of General Gilbert Diendere, who led a failed coup last week in which his men took the president and prime minister hostage just weeks before elections were due. The state prosecutor said in a statement he also
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Oil and fuel rationing
Nepal is considering rationing oil and fuel, a Nepal Oil Corp spokesman said yesterday, after hundreds of trucks were held up this week at the India border when protesters against a new constitution gathered to block the road. Nepal adopted the charter
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Police hire 'rapper-in-residence' to tackle violence
A SCOTTISH police taskforce has hired a “rapper-in-residence” as part of a new project to tackle violent behaviour, with domestic abuse the first issue to be examined through the music genre more associated with misogyny and sexism.Scottish rapper Loki
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Cop reports Police Scotland to Crown Office
A serving police officer has complained to the Crown Office about senior figures at the single force failing to comply with an order of an employment tribunal judge.Constable Andrew Reid, 37, has written to the prosecution service about the force’s claim
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Chance for Fifa to clean up act
THE night before the day few believed would ever come, roughly half of Fifa’s Executive Committee members gathered for a nightcap at Zurich’s Baur-au-Lac Hotel. (It’s the very same hotel that was the site of the dawn raids in May and that alone perhaps
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Visser values extra space in improved Scotland attack
WHEN people talk about the collective improvement in the Scotland team – and it has been there for all to see over the last few games – they usually have the defence in mind. But, while that aspect of the team’s play is markedly superior even to a few
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Warburton calls for change in league structure of 'overkill'
Rip it up and start again? Well, not quite but the restructuring of the Scottish football league system is a topic that simply won’t go away. By all accounts, the domestic game needs a bigger facelift than the Great Sphinx of Giza. Having suffered his
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From global thread making capital to the next cultural capital of Scotland: Paisley's bid to be the next UK City of Culture
EVEN its biggest supporters concede that Paisley has its problems. Although it has been shaking off its reputation as a hotbed for violent crime with murders, assaults, drug and knife crimes all falling in recent years, the stubborn scars of deprivation
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Justice Secretary gambles on first past the post seat for Holyrood elections
JUSTICE Secretary Michael Matheson and other ministers are to stake their political careers on first-past-the-post wins at Holyrood next year, rejecting the safety net of the list system. In a mark of growing SNP confidence for May 2016, Matheson
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Row over execution
Pakistani authorities are set to hang a man who says he was 15 when he was arrested for a murder he claims he did not commit, lawyers said yesterday, in the latest case to shine a spotlight on Pakistan's crumbling criminal justice system. Ansar Iqbal
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Ronny Deila: Scott Brown's drunken night wasn't all that bad - everyone has to let off steam sometimes
A SCOTTISH remake of the movie Being John Malkovich, with Scott Brown as the eponymous figure whose mind could be accessed via a hidden portal, would be quite something indeed. Just what goes through the Celtic and Scotland captain’s head at any time
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Glasgow council in Labour donor row
FRANK McAveety’s return as Glasgow city council leader has been soured by a cronyism row over an off-market property deal with a party donor.The Labour-dominated Executive approved the “principle” of a property sale that would expand A.S Scaffolding’s
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John Phelps's portfolio
We cut our losses on two of our more disappointing share tips last week when social homes contractor Mears and speciality chemicals group Croda triggered sell signals under our stop loss system.They had looked vulnerable for some time but the exit signs
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Ronny Deila on Fenerbahce's visit to face Celtic: "We’ll meet a team hungry for revenge"
TWO things spring to mind when thinking about Turkish football. The first is that their fans are passionate and committed to the point of being certifiable. To the uninitiated it appears to be Guy Fawkes Day every weekend in Turkey, such is their fondness
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A debate without Better Together could be a debate worth having
AMID all the talk about the if, when, how and why of a second independence referendum, a technicality is being overlooked: David Cameron says you can’t have one.In fact, the obstacle is a bit more than a technicality. Cast your mind back to the Edinburgh
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Winner of Miss Transgender Glasgow heat: We need this kind of platform to push transgender equality forward.
The UK's first ever Miss Transgender United contest takes place in London today It comes at a time when, following the much-applauded coming-out of reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner and the broadcasting of the first BBC trans comedy, Boy Meets Girl, transgender
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Police Scotland chief Stephen House in fresh row over top appointment
STEPHEN House’s role in the hiring of a controversial police chief is under fresh scrutiny after it emerged that House has a long-standing professional relationship with the individual. Assistant chief constable Wayne Mawson, who is under investigation
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The strange case of RBS and the vampire bankers
RBS’s most recent annual report and accounts are emblazoned with the words ‘Earning our customers’ trust’. The pamphlet contains about 150 mentions of the word ‘trust’ and 518 of the word ‘customer’ over the course of its 515 pages Inside McEwan writes
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Billy Dodds: St Johnstone defeat shows Rangers not ready for step up yet
IT was interesting to hear Mark Warburton say after Rangers’ defeat to St Johnstone that he still didn’t think there was much of a gulf between the Championship and the Premiership. I think you only say that if you’ve not played in the top division
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Lifting spirits - Scottish powerlifter Michelle Brand's inspirational tale
ONE of the most famous sporting quotes from Vince Lombardi is “it’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up”. The motto is an inspir- ation to countless sportspeople as they attempt to overcome adver- sity, whether it is the footballer
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Likely collapse of “zombie” Drax bid reopens door for Grangemouth CCS scheme
The likely collapse of a £2bn carbon capture project at Drax in Yorkshire brings a rival scheme in Grangemouth back into competition for government support, a leading carbon capture specialist has said. Along with Peterhead power station, the White
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Caldwell still backing Strachan's men to qualify for Euro 2016
HIS professional career has come and gone in a time when Scotland’s dry spell has turned into a drought of epic proportions. But Steven Caldwell is keeping the faith that Gordon Strachan can quench the nation’s major championship thirst next month.
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Athletics: future is bright for the indomitable Samantha Kinghorn
SAMANTHA Kinghorn isn’t afraid to speak her mind. It is a quality the triple European champion wheelchair racer also respects in others, not least the youngsters she meets on school visits across Scotland to talk about her athletics career.“Kids always
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Barrels of whisky the latest alternative for long-term investors
Investors who are nervous of being tied to the stock market have a new option: scotch whisky.Maturing Scotch whisky is said to have an average annual appreciation in real terms of seven per cent. Now an online marketplace giving investors access to it
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Sunday Herald reviews: Waiting For Godot/What Goes Around
Waiting For GodotRoyal Lyceum, EdinburghUntil October 10What Goes AroundSeen at Tron Theatre, GlasgowTouring until October 8Reviewed by Mark BrownEdinburgh's Royal Lyceum Theatre is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its company in style. First came
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Album review: Chvrches, Every Open Eye (Virgin EMI)
ChvrchesEvery Open Eye(Virgin EMI)Reviewed by Alan MorrisonIn 2013 Chvrches went from basement-studio concept to chart-topping reality at such a velocity that it's a wonder the synthpop trio didn't skid off the edge of the world. Debut album The Bones
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Sunday Herald review: The Martian (12A)
The popularity of film genres tends to move in cycles, and with space movies it’s tempting to see the parallels with real life. When scientists are on song, filmmakers tap into the intergalactic thrill.When Captain Kirk spoke of “Space: the final frontier
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Travel: Northumberland
HEADING south along what was once The Great North Road connecting Edinburgh and London feels like a journey back through time. This area, just an hour's drive from the Scottish capital along the A1, is a borderland and it is not hard to imagine yourself
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Interview: Composer James MacMillan on his music festival, growing up in Ayrshire ... and why he's given up on social media
‘YOU may have noticed, I have turned into a grumpy old man,” says James MacMillan. The Scottish composer, new knight of the realm, former Twitter lightning rod and, it emerges, recently retired controversialist, is in a good mood. When we meet, his Fourth
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Album review: Julia Holter, Have You In My Wilderness (Domino)
Julia HolterHave You In My Wilderness(Domino)Across three albums released between 2011-13, LA-based Julia Holter built a reputation as a rather cerebral songstress, perhaps a little cold and elusive in her writing style. Here, however, that shell of intelligent
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Surviving peace: a century after the first case of "shell-shock" was diagnosed, support for trauma victims remains inadequate. Matthew Green examines the tragic consequences ... and the work being done in Scotland to help heal the wounds
IN March, 2009, Aaron Black and James Forrester, young soldiers in the Black Watch, boarded an RAF Tristar transport plane headed for Kandahar Airfield, a hub of the coalition war effort in southern Afghanistan. It was dark by the time word came down
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Crime Fiction round-up
“The best puppets don’t know they have strings.” So says the iconically code-named spy in James Grady’s Last Days Of The Condor (No Exit Press, £8.99), the recently released sequel to his classic spy thriller, Six Days Of The Condor. The world has changed
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Geoffrey Smeddle: warming pot roasts
RAIN was belting down, whipping at the windows in the wild wind, adding to our shivering dismay. The heating wasn’t on. Why would it be, when it was only September 12? But as there are few grimmer spots than a chilly restaurant dining room, there was
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Album review: Enrico Rava Quartet with Gianluca Petrella, Wild Dance (ECM)
Enrico Rava Quartet with Gianluca PetrellaWild Dance (ECM) Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava’s relationship with ECM Records dates back to the mid-1970s and, while very much a new recording, Wild Dance follows a long-trodden path on the label of European
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Album review: Philharmonia Orchestra/Klemperer, Mahler Resurrection Symphony (Warner Classics)
Philharmonia Orchestra/KlempererMahler Resurrection Symphony(Warner Classics)There simply could not have been a more appropriate time for a re-release of this great and historic recording of Mahler’s Second Symphony, the Resurrection, with the RSNO’s
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Paperback reviews
Parfums: A Catalogue Of Remembered Smells by Philippe Claudel (Maclehose Press, £8.99)There’s nothing objective about this history of smells; it’s entirely personal, a collection of memories that different smells conjure up for Claudel, from his childhood
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Life played at the wrong speed: 35 years of John Peel
Sunday morning, September 2015. Cerys Matthews is on the radio. She's playing a track by French-Lebanese singer and composer Bachar Mar Khalife. It's a soft, whispery mix of hushed, humming vocals and dropping piano notes. And beautiful. It's possible
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TV review: Damien Love on Music For Misfits: The Story Of Indie (BBC Four)
Music For Misfits: The Story Of Indie 10pm, BBC Four For anyone who ever spent nights between the late 1970s and early 1990s sitting hunched by a bedroom radio for hours with a cramped finger held poised over the pause button of a tape deck
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Drag addicts: Meet the Scots who have turned cross-dressing into an art form
THE CONCEPT of men dressing as women isn't novel, but a new generation of trendsetting drag queens are taking Scotland by storm … and they’re not all wearing dresses. In fact, men dressing as women is not really what drag is about. It never was
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League Two round-up
EAST Fife lead an entertainingly unsettled division after a 4-1 win at Montrose, thanks largely to a Nathan Austin hat-trick.Gary Fraser had given Montrose a 20th-minute lead but Austin’s long-range shot equalised before half time, after which Austin
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Championship round-up
Away days do not come much better for Livingston. A 3-0 victory at Alloa not only gave them their first league win of the season but it also hoisted them off the bottom of the table.Ben Gordon gave Alloa an early warning that former players have a knack
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League 1 round-up
JAMIE Redman ruined Ayr United’s chance of moving clear at the top of League One, with a late Peterhead equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Somerset Park. Nicky Devlin put Ayr in front early in the second half but Redman equalised with just three minutes left.There
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Scottish Greens may have their own In campaign on EU
THE Scottish Greens may run their own pro-Europe campaign for the in-out referendum. The party will consider the issue at its conference in Glasgow next month, it has emerged. A motion calls from the party’s International Committee calls for
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leader
“I WAS hugely disappointed to see the Labour Party vote in favour of further austerity and in doing so we have done hardworking people a great disservice,” said Diane Abbott in January. “Instead of simply mimicking current practices we should be
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Russian forces in Syria all about power projection
When President Vladimir Putin agreed to address the UN General Assembly the international diplomatic community expected that he would use the opportunity to bolster Russia’s involvement in Ukraine. Yet when the Russian leader addresses the assembly
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How Scotland is helping heal wounds of Northern Ireland’s Troubled past
Thirty years of murder and violence during the Troubles has caused lasting sectarian division, hurt and hatred not only in Northern Ireland but here in Scotland too. But a series of events held on this side of the water are aiming to bring Irish Republicans
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Luxury hotel plans set for check in
Controversial plans to turn the former Royal High School in Edinburgh into a luxury hotel have been backed by a new study which claims that the £75 million development will generate £37m a year into the Scottish economy over 12 years and support 900 jobs
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Royal start-up approval
SCOTLAND’S tech entrepreneurial community received a ringing royal endorsement last week as Prince Andrew, the Earl of Inverness, praised the “amazing quality and energy” of competitors at the first Scottish Pitch@Palace event.Held partly at the Palace
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Please, please, please no ... and that's snaw joke
It’s been a good week for ... wordsThe Eskimo and Inuit are well known for their extensive vocabulary to describe all that cold white stuff with which they are so familiar. But the Scots may have outdone them, with 421 words for snow.Lexicographers at
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Who knows why the nos voted no?
Yet again we are informed by a mind-reading Yes advocate that "the fright tactics of the Nocampaigners must have also played a decisive role in the eventual result" (The flier squad, Essay of the week, September 20). Francis McKee further claims
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SNP wrong over Lord Watson
I frequently write in support of SNP policies because they are the most progressive to be found among the larger parties and against the reactionary antics of the British nationalist parties (Sack 'Lord Firestarter', Labour leader is told, News, September
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Letters
Many thanks for the excellent article on one true, living, people's champion (The people's champion, Sunday Herald Life, September 20). Bob Holman truly deserves to be recognised as one who practices what he preaches, not only in his professional but
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Scotland needs unity as well as hope
My wife and I attended the Hope Over Fear rally (Why pro-independence Sunday Herald was turned away from pro-independence Hope Over Fear rally, News, September 20). We really wanted to do something a year on from our bitter disappointment. I thought the
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Topic of the week: air pollution
Your excellent article clearly shows the devastating health effects of transport-related airborne pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and carbon particles (Revealed: air pollution kills 3,500 Scots every year, News, September 20). Friends of the Earth have
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Rare 'blood moon' lunar eclipse to take place for first time in more than 30 years
IT is a spectacular celestial event eagerly anticipated by stargazers - or a sign of impending global chaos, according to the doom-mongers of the world. In the early hours of Monday morning, a ‘blood moon’ is expected to be visible in Scotland
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Hope Over Fear security chief has criminal convictions
THE security chief for the pro-independence Hope Over Fear has committed multiple criminal offences, the Sunday Herald can reveal. John Marshall, accused of showing aggression towards journalists at a HOF event earlier this month, pled guilty as
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T time quiz for Hyslop over cash questionsSoldiering on for 100 years
WHEN Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said she is “looking forward” to her Tuesday date with the Education and Culture Committee, Agenda suspects she does not mean she is anticipating it with pleasure. Hyslop will be asked to spill the beans about
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Bar Stool: Stockbridge Tap, Edinburgh
Stockbridge TapRaeburn Place, EdinburghWhat is it: I used to live in this part of the capital and Bert’s Bar was one of my locals, so imagine my shock when I saw it had become The Stockbridge Tap. I'd known of “the Tap”, but thought it was on another
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Pete Stewart's wine choice: warming reds from Chile
A LOVELY warming pot roast should really have a lovely warming glass of red to go alongside. You’ll need something with a bit of spice and character to stand up to the deliciously intense roasted goodness in the pot.Chile would be my first port of call
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Alex Neil MSP: Investment puts Falkirk well and truly on the map
The Scottish Government remains committed to taking every measure possible to ensure that our towns are vibrant places. Two key interlinked themes within the Town Centre Action Plan are supporting Vibrant Local Economies and Enterprising Communities
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Business BID underpinned by partnership
Falkirk’s Business Improvement District is promoting the strengths of collaborative working to make the town a better place to visit, work and invest in, writes Ken Mann Talking the talk is one thing, delivering on promises quite another – and