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World No. 1 Jordan Spieth declared his Barclays Championship opening four over par 76 to be the "worst round I’ve played in years".The double major winning Texan was two under par through six holes but then completed his inward nine in six over

In just over two weeks, we could see history being made by a sportswoman who can lay claim to being not merely the greatest female tennis player of all time, but the greatest tennis player of all time, full stop. Serena Williams goes into the US Open,

British celebrities know what going on Celebrity Big Brother (Thursday, Channel 5, 9pm) means: it means you've slid down the celebrity alphabet, from B or C to M or N; it means you need the exposure, or the money, or both; and what it never means is a

Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett is to join the Fellowship - this time at the BFI London Film Festival. The Australian actress, who starred in Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, will be presented with the festival's top honour

WHILE Celtic and their supporters might have spent yesterday dreaming of what might have been, there was a healty dose of reality for Manchester City as the club's Champions League curse returned to haunt them after they were drawn with last season's

THE Spaniard Eduardo de la Riva holed his second shot for an eagle at the last to take a share of the first round lead at the Czech Masters with Scotland's Scott Jamieson well in contention.The 33-year-old de la Riva signed for a seven-under 65, matching

THE Hibernian head coach Alan Stubbs has refused to confirm or deny whether he is trying to snatch Billy McKay from under the nose of Dundee United.However, Stubbs admits a new striker is the missing piece of the jigsaw.McKay has been linked with the

DINA ASHER-SMITH established herself as a strong contender to become the first British woman to win a global 100 or 200 metres medal in a generation on a night for Great Britain's rising stars at the World Championships in Beijing.The 19-year-old history

World No. 1 Jordan Spieth declared his Barclays Championship opening four over par 76 to be the "worst round I’ve played in years".The double major winning Texan was two under par through six holes but then completed his inward nine in six over

TOLD you so, Usain Bolt proclaimed. Form is temporary, he signalled. Class is permanent. Days after an epic victory over 100 metres in Beijing that did so much to steer an embattled sport away from greater depths of despair, the Jamaican completed an

IAN MURRAY, the St Mirren manager, hopes Lawrence Shankland could be the missing piece to his Paisley-patterend jigsaw. The Aberdeen striker was snapped up by Ian Murray earlier in the week on a season-long loan to add some firepower to a stuttering attack

ALAN ARCHIBALD, the Partick Thistle manager, has set a target of bringing in at least two more players before the transfer window closes on Tuesday night.The Ladbrokes Premiership side have suffered a slow start to a campaign that has seen them yet to

NEIL LENNON says Ronny Deila has his full sympathy and believes the Celtic manager deserves at least one more chance to get the club into the Champions League.Lennon's former side crashed out of the competition on Tuesday night at the hands of Malmo and

SOME Rangers fans might have fancied a crack at Celtic in the coming weeks but John Brown wasn’t one of them. Optimism abounds around Ibrox these days on the back of Mark Warburton’s near-faultless start as manager, with Airdrieonians the latest club

JAMES Fowler had a head start on the rest of Scottish football when it came to getting the inside track on Rangers’ new signings. James Tavernier and Martyn Waghorn were both part of a Wigan Athletic side which faced his Queen of the South outfit during

Martin Canning knows all about the value of momentum. As part of the Hamilton squad that won promotion to the Premiership and then carried their astounding form into the first half of last season, even storming to the top of the table after defeating

Ed Caesar almost broke the 2 hour barrier for the marathon last Sunday at Edinburgh’s Footworks running store. All he had to do was stay on the treadmill – pre-set to sub-2 hr marathon pace − for another 1:57:55. But with customers wanting him to sign

One billion people have used Facebook in a single day for the first time in the site's 11-year history. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg hailed the figure as an "important milestone" for the site, which in little over a decade has become an integral

INTERNET search giant, Google, is braced for a potentially lengthy legal fight after rejecting an EU demand to change the way it ranks on comparison-shopping services in its search results.Formally responding to antitrust charges filed by the EU earlier

Sherlock star Martin Freeman has revealed that he did a "terrible" audition for the hit BBC detective show. He told an audience at the Edinburgh International Television Festival: "I went in for it and apparently I did a terrible audition."

In just over two weeks, we could see history being made by a sportswoman who can lay claim to being not merely the greatest female tennis player of all time, but the greatest tennis player of all time, full stop. Serena Williams goes into the US Open,

PLAYING in the back row can feel like banging your head against a brick wall at the best of times, but for John Barclay, at least in one sense, the experience must have felt especially futile and unrewarding over the past year or two. No matter how well

Way back in 1298, as Ye Herald reported in its all singing, all dancing wood-carved edition of the day, Edward I’s invading army of English bowmen pitched their tents on this expanse of East Lothian land that would become known as Archerfield.For the

RYAN Wilson, in a Scotland team for the first time since completing a six-month suspension from international duty, has been praised for his “exceptional character” by Vern Cotter. The Glasgow Warriors forward, who starts at No 6 against Italy tomorrow

The benefits budget should be under the control of local councils, Andy Burnham has said. The Labour leadership candidate said he would devolve the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) budget to local authorities if he were Prime Minister.

The lead singer of Chvrches has hit back at online trolls who launched a stream of sexist abuse over the band's latest music video. Frontwoman Lauren Mayberry was threatened with rape following the release of the video to Leave A Trace, in which

Here, Sarah Kendall tells us about her Fringe show, A Day in October... My show this year is called ‘A Day In October’ and it’s definitely got a much darker underbelly than anything I’ve done in the past. For me, it’s been a very rewarding

Rob Beckett laughs as he admits he had no idea what the Edinburgh Fringe was until he became a comedian. Beckett first appeared on the comedy radar in 2009 and said he was clueless about the festival until his friends told him that it was a must

Angela Barnes loves being a self-deprecating comedian but don’t call her comedy self-loathing. The British comic was given the label by a reviewer who saw her show at the Edinburgh Fringe last year. However, Barnes says it's not something she

DRIVERS are being warned they will not be able to access routes in the South Side due to an outdoor event. Glasgow Summer Sessions takes place this weekend at Bellahouston Park. Motorists will not be able to drive in Mosspark Boulevard between

ARCHAELOGISTS believe they have discovered a long-lost monastery where Scotland's oldest manuscript is believed to have been written.A ground-penetrating radar survey carried out at at Old Deer Church in Aberdeenshire has identified what appears to be

The number of millionaires in Scotland has increased by 41% over the past five years, according to new research. Barclays said there are now 48,000 millionaires living in Scotland, driven by a healthy financial services sector and a "thriving"

A CRIME group that distributed nearly £1million worth of Class A controlled illegal substances have been convicted of the sale and supply of drugs. Stephen Nisbet, who with the assistance of his brother James and others, operated a drug empire

The BBC treats the scheduling clash between Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor as a "game", the head of ITV has claimed. Peter Fincham has accused the rival network of deliberately orchestrating the clashes between the reality contests.

SPARE blood leftover from routine sampling is to be retained and used for research as part of a new scheme launched in Glasgow.The SHARE project, launched at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, is calling on people to sign up to a register which

First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon said she gets angry about the potential impact sexism in the media has on women and girls. She said challenging the sexist portrayal of women was something she felt "incredibly strongly" about. Delivering

A day trip to Inverness by train reinforced for Agenda the urgency of the on-train wifi upgrade that Scotrail’s new franchise holders Abellio revealed last month. Not that we understimate the challenge. With the possible exception of Alpine countries,

Jamie Oliver has vowed to be "a pain in the a***" to the Government over his plans to introduce a tax on sugary drinks. The celebrity chef and campaigner said he is confident of introducing a new 20p per litre levy on every soft drink sold in the

Oscar Pistorius will have to spend at least another three weeks in jail after it was announced his parole board review will take place on September 18. Pistorius' family said in a statement that they had taken note of the date but would not comment

If Jeremy Corbyn becomes the leader of the Labour party ('I don't do personal. I never enjoyed Gladiators on television', News, August 16) it will go down in history as the moment when corporate media began to lose control of the political narrative

Britain is now a "borderless" country, Nigel Farage claimed after figures showed net migration is at an all time high. The Ukip leader said regaining control of inflows must be part of efforts to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU.

Sir Stephen House has announced his intention to step down as Chief Constable of Police Scotland by the end of the year - earlier than planned. His time in charge of the newly-merged force has split opinion about whether he has been a force for

PHIL SMITH sounded more mystified than miffed, but there again, you couldn't really blame the redoubtable Heriots coach. As the defending Scottish champions, Smith might have supposed his charges would begin their quest for another title at the same time

Former Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke is reportedly set to be interviewed by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which is investigating an accounting black hole at the supermarket. The SFO and Tesco both declined to comment on the report by Bloomberg

Mothers have hailed him a sex symbol, his £1.50 vests sent the media into a frenzy - and now a paper coffee cup used by Jeremy Corbyn has been sold on ebay for £51. Corbynmania has reached new heights as fans of the Labour leadership favourite

London's blue-chip share index bounced back as its sharpest rise in nearly four years saw it recover from all the losses it endured earlier this week.Markets turned higher in the latest episode of the rollercoaster ride that has gripped global share indices

HUMAN rights activists have condemned a lack of action over the welfare of the gypsy and traveller community in Scotland as an official report said they had "by far the worst health" of any ethnic group.Urgent government action has been pledged

Taking too many antibiotics could raise the risk of Type 2 diabetes, research has shown. A study of more than a million people, including 170,500 with the disease, found a clear link between higher numbers of prescriptions for the drugs and having

TAKING too many antibiotics could raise the risk of Type 2 diabetes, research has shown.A study of more than one million people, including 170,500 with the disease, found a clear link between higher numbers of prescriptions for the drugs and having a

Plans have been lodged to bring a single malt distillery to Edinburgh - the first in 90 years. David Robertson, former master distiller for The Macallan, is behind proposals to open the Holyrood Park Distillery. Open to visitors, guests will

DEPUTY First Minister John Swinney has urged RBS to reconsider a "very insensitive" decision to close one of its Perthshire branches. Mr Swinney said he was very disappointed by the bank's announcement to axe its high street branch in Alyth

CELTIC'S Euro conquerors Malmo have landed a glamour group of PSG, Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League. The Swedish title holders dumped the Hoops out 4-3 on aggregate on Tuesday night to book their place in the tournament

Paolo Nutini and Calvin Harris will play to a sell-out home crowd in Scotland at the weekend. Organisers of the Glasgow Summer Sessions said the last tickets have been snapped up for the two dates at Bellahouston Park. Nutini, from Paisley

BARRY McGUIGAN simply cannot help himself. Whenever the subject of Josh Taylor comes up, the references and comparisons to Ken Buchanan tumble out in the same instinctive way he used to throw his combinations.Southpaw, Edinburgh boy, now wearing the tartan

STRESSED out maths teachers are being offered the chance to work on the island nicknamed 'Barradise'. The Isle of Barra has a vacancy at Castlebay Community School, but applicants have only until Monday to apply. The island is home to 1200

The venue which hosted last week’s European Table Tennis Cup matches is set to be designated a school of excellence for the sport as the local authority looks to build on North Ayrshire Table tennis Club’s success.The Saltcoats-based team lost all of

Nicola Sturgeon has claimed the BBC's coverage of last year's independence referendum was unfair. The First Minister claimed the corporation only analysed the SNP's case for independence and failed to consider the consequences for Scotland of staying

Benedict Cumberbatch's performance in Hamlet has been described as "really good" by his Sherlock co-star Martin Freeman. It comes after Cumberbatch's mother hailed him as "a bloody good Hamlet" - but the show has received mixed reviews. Freeman

POLICE are "keeping an open mind" that two sex attacks in the Scottish capital may be linked. In the latest incident a 19-year-old woman was seriously sexually assaulted when walking along Newmills Road in Balerno at around 12.30am on August 27.

ANDY Murray’s US Open campaign will begin with an awkward assignment against the controversial Australian Nick Kyrgios. The World No 3, who has been more supportive than most to the 20-year-old during his eventful career to date, overcame Kyrgios in straight

Blockbusters including Jurassic World and a move to scrap online booking fees helped Odeon and UCI Cinemas more than double earnings as the business attracted more film-goers in the first half of 2015.The group, which has 113 cinemas in the UK, said half-year

INTERIM profits at Macfarlane Group have surged by more than 50 per cent with the company signalling it remains on the hunt for acquisitions.The Glasgow business said it had seen organic growth and benefits from acquisitions it made last year in growing

A day after the on-air killings of a reporter and cameraman shocked millions across the world, the grieving staff at WDBJ-TV came together for an emotional broadcast of its Mornin' show. At 6.45am - the time of the shooting that took the lives

JOHN Macnab’s helpful letter (August 26) contains an unwritten warning of how ineffective and ineffectual our ScotRail franchisees are when it comes to providing comfort and convenience for their passengers.If he is right – and on current performance

Aldermore Group's profit has more than doubled in the first half of the year, beating expectations, as the challenger bank issued more mortgages and loans to small and medium-sized businesses.Aldermore, among a handful of London-listed banks set up to

A 200-YEAR-OLD mansion built by soldiers captured while fighting for Napoleon has gone up for sale.Up to 7,000 French fighters were held in Perth between 1811 and 1815 as the general invaded nations across Europe.The Prisoners of War built the local prison

Outgoing Chief Constable Sir Stephen House has expressed his frustration that he is unable to answer his many critics on the controversies that have engulfed Police Scotland in recent months. A report into police call handling sparked by the deaths

GLASGOW have completed the signing of Sila Puafisi, the Tongan international prop, and confirmed that Hugh Blake, the Scotland openside flanker, has joined from Edinburgh. Puafisi, who has agreed a one-year deal subject to passing a medical and meeting

Playtech, the online gaming and betting software provider founded by Israeli billionaire Teddy Sagi, is still hungry for acquisitions even after having spent more than $1 billion this year on its foray into forex trading.Isle of Man-based Playtech has

THE search for a man who went missing days after separating from his long-term girlfriend is continuing. Police have issued a re-appeal for information on the whereabouts of Jackson Reid. The 42-year-old businessman from Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow

RANGERS FIRST are poised to achieve their goal of a 5% stake at Ibrox by the end of the year after buying a further 250,000 shares in the Light Blues.The fan ownership group now control 3.51% of the shareholding in Rangers International Football Club

Total is selling £585m North Sea assets as the company looks to raise cash and cut costs amid the fall in the crude price. The French giant has agreed to sell its interests in the St Fergus gas terminal in Aberdeenshire and two pipelines linked to fields

A body discovered on the shoreline in Fife has been identified as that of a fisherman missing after the boat he and two friends were in overturned at sea. The family of Jason Buchan, from East Wemyss in Fife, said they were "heartbroken" after

A body discovered on the shoreline in Fife has been identified as that of a fisherman missing after the boat he and two friends were in overturned at sea. The family of Jason Buchan, from East Wemyss in Fife, said they were "heartbroken" after

Acts of Redemption is a collection of six funny, bittersweet, and deeply moving monologues from The New York Times Editor Ken Jaworowski, about loss, self discovery, loneliness, hope, regret and having to constantly steal your own dog. Each piece is

Sam Underwood talks Edinburgh pub crawls and heckles... Tell us about your Fringe show... One Day When We Were Young by Nick Payne is the beautiful and tragic story of Violet and Violet, and their would-be romance. The play earnestly explores

LIBERAL Democrat leader Tim Farron has said he is confident his party's sole Scottish MP will survive a legal bid to oust him from his seat. Alistair Carmichael, the former Scottish Secretary, is defending a court action aimed at removing him from

Tom Neenan discusses Ozzy Osborne and his rider... Tell us about your Fringe show... It’s a sci-fi epic set in the 1950’s about a young scientist Bernard Andromeda (played by me) who is summoned to work for a shady organisation set up by his

Christian Taylor produced the second longest jump in history to win triple jump gold at the World Championships in Beijing.The American snatched gold from Cuba's Pedro Pablo Pichardo with the penultimate jump of the competition, soaring out to 18.20 metres

Amy Howerska tells us all about her survivor's tale... Tell us about your Fringe show... It’s a survivor's tale of growing up in an extreme sports family but with jokes...often about death How does it feel to be playing the Fringe for the

Festival musicZehetmair QuartetQueen’s HallKate MollesonFOUR STARSThe Zehetmair Quartet often performs from memory — the players learn their parts by heart before they even start to rehearse, and tend to unleash thrilling levels of musical insight and

Omar Hamdi discusses politics and the Fringe Punters... Tell us about your Fringe show It's an autobiographical show about me growing up in Wales with Egyptian parents. I use my experience to try to make sense of the big issues facing me and

Z'KR discuss supporting Joy Division and bad comedy... Tell us about your Fringe show... Karen - It is a fusion show that mixes flamenco with Indian Sufi music and Arabic rhythms and dance.  We travel the road of the gypsies from Rajasthan

Scottish League Cup third round draw: Kilmarnock v Hearts Livingston v Inverness CT Ross County v Falkirk Rangers v St Johnstone Celtic v Raith Rovers Morton v Motherwell Dundee United v Dunfermline Athletic Hibernian

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino wants to bring in another striker before the transfer window closes, but refused to be drawn on whether his club would table a third bid for Saido Berahino. West Brom are reportedly demanding £25million for

Aston Villa flop Aleksandar Tonev has joined Serie A side Frosinone on a permanent deal. The Barclays Premier League club confirmed the move on their official Twitter account. Tonev made just eight starts and only 20 appearances in total for

STV has seen its half-year profit dragged lower as a result of the start-up costs relating to its city television offerings.Revenue in the first six months of the year dipped two per cent from £54.7 million to £53.6m as a result of a fall in revenue at

Usain Bolt has claimed the World Championship sprint double with a dominant performance in the 200 metres final Four days on from his100 metres victory the Jamaican was in control throughout as he stormed to victory 19.55 seconds, American Justin

Christine Ohuruogu's bid for a third world title ended in disappointment as she came home last in the 400 metres final in Beijing.The defending champion had nothing left in the home straight where she is usually so strong as she crossed the line in 50.63

Crash victim Gillian Ewing's daughter was "mere inches" from the bin lorry which struck and killed her mother, reports Linzi Watson.  Lucy "miraculously" escaped without injury but is still haunted by witnessing her mother being hit.  Gillian

Singapore property developer Rowsley is paying £29 million for a 75 per cent stake in a soccer-themed hotel and restaurant business founded by former Manchester United players including Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville.Rowsley will buy the stake from Singapore

Kevin de Bruyne's transfer to Manchester City has not gone through yet, although Wolfsburg's director of sport Klaus Allofs has confirmed talks between the two clubs are under way. Reports in England and Germany claimed on Wednesday night that

A student leader of Hong Kong's pro-democracy demonstrations faces additional charges in connection with the storming of government headquarters which helped spark months-long street protests last year.Joshua Wong, the 18-year-old leader of student group

Scotland will be represented in the British team for next month's European Eventing Championships at Blair Castle after Fife-based Wills Oakden and Greystone Midnight Melody received a late call up.The 25-year-old has been called in by the selectors after

David Cameron has been accused of rewarding his cronies after a list of new peers included businesswoman Michelle Mone, a former Tory minister who tried to claim expenses for his moat and another who once accused Scots of having their "snouts in the

An Islamic State (IS) suicide bomber has killed two army generals as they led forces against IS positions in the turbulent Anbar province west of Baghdad, Iraqi military officials said.They say the bomber drove his explosives-laden vehicle into advancing

Chinese prosecutors have detained 11 government officials and company executives over a massive warehouse explosion that killed at least 139 people in the country's worst industrial disaster in recent years.They included current and retired officials

Sean Lamont is the only player to return to the starting team that overcame Italy 16-12 in Turin last weekend.The 95-times capped Glasgow Warriors wing starts a third straight summer Test, having been brought back into the squad as a replacement for Tommy

MusicAWOLNATION, Garage, GlasgowJonathan GeddesFour StarsAaron Bruno has found success harder to come by overseas than at home. The man behind AWOLNATION hit the charts with Sail (which inevitably closed this set) but while a star in America, here in

A "devastated" family who lost three people in the bin lorry tragedy have expressed "great concerns" about the investigation of the crash, reports Linzi Watson.  University student Erin McQuade, 18, died along with her grandparents Jack, 68, and

FORMER Scottish Executive minister Frank McAveety is the firm favourite to take over as leader of Glasgow City Council after his main rival for the post dropped from the race. Cllr Stephen Curran made the surprise choice to pull out of the contest

Stephen House steadily worked his way up the ranks to take the top job in Scottish policing and a salary of more than £200,000 a year. He was selected to head Scotland's new single force in 2012 after notching up three decades of service at six

Nearly 10,000 people claiming benefits died in the space of a little over two years, after being declared potentially fit for work, according to new figures. The statistics on the death rates of people claiming benefits were published by the Department

Katarina Johnson-Thompson bounced back from her heptathlon "walk of shame" by leaping into the long jump final at the World Championships in Beijing.

A WAITRESS had to rush to the aid of Smith Report author Lord Smith after he fell ill at a dinner hosted by Nicola Sturgeon. Reports suggest the peer was enjoying a meal with other business leaders at Bute House on Tuesday when he suffered a suspected

Mario Balotelli claims manager Brendan Rodgers' tactics contributed to his woeful spell at Liverpool.

SIR Stephen House is to stand down early as  Scotland's most senior police officer. Police Scotland Chief Constable made the announcement this morning after a spate of controversies surrounding the single force. He will leave his post in three

You might think you have OCD because you organise your DVDs alphabetically, or keep all your forks facing the same way in the kitchen drawer, or have to go back occasionally and check you haven't left the iron on. But the chances are you don't have OCD

Scottish Rugby has announced what it is calling the most comprehensive change ever to youth rugby in the country through the first organised league system for Scotland's schools, alongside a revamp of the club youth league structure.

Gillian Furmage's verdict: five stars. For the uninitiated, Avenue Q is what you’d get if you put The Muppets, Sesame Street, Sex and the City, Team America and Friends in a blender. And turned it into a musical. The action starts with naïve

Stoke forward Jonathan Walters is keen to stay at the club but feels they are yet to show they truly value him in recent contract negotiations.

Kevin Nolan has left West Ham by mutual consent, the club have confirmed.

Isabelle Georges discusses her show Oh La La. 1 Tell us about your Fringe show Oh Là Là! is hot! 5 sexy French bearded musicians and “moi”, singing and telling stories of love and survival with that French ‘je ne sais quoi’! Songs by Aznavour


1 Tell us about your Fringe show
 I have a couple of plays and a solo Stand-up show! The play Giant Leap is a must see. Tom Stade, Lewis Shaffer and I star in satire set in 1969 under the NASA headquarters where a group of writers are assembled

Thom Tuck discusses his show Scaramouche Jones. 1 Tell us about your Fringe show Scaramouche Jones is a one-man play written by Justin Butcher in which I play a one hundred year old clown coming offstage after his final performance and deciding

Alfie Brown discusses his show Ism. 1 Tell us about your Fringe show It’s very funny. That’s the first thing. That was job one. It’s also themed loosely to be about tribalism. 2 Best thing about the Fringe? As a comedian you never get

IBROX legend John Greig has joined the board of the Rangers Youth Development Company.The RYDC is independent from Rangers and was established in 1964 as the Rangers Development Fund with the aim of providing cash to the club.To date, it has raised more

Thousands of tennis fans were left disappointed when the official website selling tickets for next month’s hotly anticipated Davis Cup tie in Glasgow crashed. 'Tickets were supposed to go on public sale at 7am on Thursday for Great Britain's crunch

A teenager who was reported missing after last being seen leaving a nightclub has been found.  Louise Davidson, 19, was last seen leaving Espionage nightclub in Edinburgh at about 4.30am on Tuesday, possibly in the company of two men. Police

Mathilda Gregory talks about her show How To Be Fat. 1 Tell us about your Fringe show. How to be Fat is a show for everybody. It is a comedy show about being fat. There’ll be a Guess My Weight competition. I am the prize. Sorry. 2 Best

Child welfare officer Sandy Docherty has become the fourth contestant to leave The Great British Bake Off after serving up sloppy desserts. The 49-year-old from Bradford left a sour taste in the mouth of judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry with

TheatreHamletBarbican Theatre, LondonCarole Woddis*** (three stars)After all the hullabaloo, is it possible for a performer to live up to the hype? Has the Bard fallen prey to rank commercialism?Well, Shakespeare was nothing if not a shrewd businessman

Heavy twins, skinny waists and the world's longest fingernails are just some of the bizarre records awarded since the launch of the Guinness World Records book 60 years ago. Other weird and wonderful records Guinness have profiled include the longest

Hamilton Accies have completed their second signing in 24 hours by bringing in former QPR defender Jamie Sendles-White.

FORMER world champion Mark Cavendish is set to compete at the 2015 Aviva Tour of Britain next month. The British rider will lead the Etixx Quick-Step team for the eight-day race which comes to Scotland for two stages on September 8 and 9. Cavendish

Britons are offending commuters by manspreading, revelling in bants with their friends at beer o'clock, and having a brain fart while talking about the Grexit, but it's NBD. Those are just some of the 1,000 new words added to OxfordDictionaries.com

Downton Abbey star Jim Carter has said TV viewers will need "two hankies" at the ready on Christmas night for an emotional final episode of the period drama. The actor, who plays Charles Carson, said: "These characters, we see them. We say goodbye

A man who shot dead a TV reporter and cameraman during a live news broadcast in the US told authorities afterwards he was a "human powder keg...just waiting to go boom!" In a rambling letter sent to ABC News after former colleagues were gunned

Sir Terry Pratchett's final Discworld novel has hit the shelves as fans gathered for a midnight release. Readers eager to get their hands on copies of The Shepherd's Crown, the 41st and last in his popular Discworld series, queued outside bookshops

An internet troll who claimed the murder of Lee Rigby was a conspiracy designed to provoke anti-Islamic feelings has escaped an immediate jail term after refusing to accept he did anything wrong. Grandfather Christopher Spivey (pictured above

TT motorcycle racer Born: June 29, 1929 Died: August 23, 2015. EWEN Haldane, who has died aged 86, was one of Scotland's most successful motorcycle road racers during the golden era of the sport in the 1950s. A contemporary of John Surtees

ActressBorn: October 23, 1922;Died: August 3, 2015Coleen Gray, who has died at the age of 92, is best remembered for her first two credited performances – in a pair of highly regarded films noirs, both made in 1947. A big-eyed, sweet-faced young woman

CricketerBorn: January 19, 1922;Died: August 22, 2015.Arthur Morris, who has died aged 93, was one of Australia's finest opening batsmen and a key member of Don Bradman's Invincibles side.Left-hander Morris scored 3,533 runs in 46 tests at an average

Cromarty Brewing is a cracking wee brewery on the Black Isle on our east coast. In the three and a half years since their launch, Cromarty have built up a brilliant core range of beers. From their Brewed Awakening coffee stout to the award-winning

One of the UK’s leading centre-left think tanks has appointed its first director in Scotland. Russell Gunson, currently the director of the National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland, will lead the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Scotland.

JOHN Swinney has become the most senior minister to be drawn into the cronyism row over T in the Park, after it emerged he met the organisers at the request of a former SNP aide.The deputy first minister and finance secretary met DF Concerts' chief executive

GORDON SHEPHERD, Scotland's coach, had targeted the match against Italy as crucial to his side's survival in the European Nations Championships and his charges responded with a 3-1 win in the pouring rain in London yesterday.Shepherd's aspirations of

NICOLA Sturgeon will today warn her government can be an ally to the BBC in the upcoming review of its governing charter - but only if the broadcaster proposes radical reform to how it operates in Scotland. The First Minister will call for the

NEW demands have been made for more affordable homes to tackle a "crisis" in Scotland as new figures show the proportion of Scottish households that are renting privately is at 15-year high while owner occupiers are at a 15-year low.The latest

A FREQUENT complaint aimed at footballers these days is that media training has made them too robotic, but the shame painted across Kris Commons’ face after Celtic crashed out of the Champions League on Tuesday night was understandably genuine.“We didn

COME rain, come shine, sunflowers are brightening up a former waste land as part of a new art initiative. Yellowfield is a project designed to transform a brownfield site into ecologically productive land. It has sprung up in Gorbals, Glasgow, at a site

STAGECOACH has reported a sharp year-on-year fall in revenues in its North American business, with lower fuel prices causing people to make more journeys by car rather than bus.However, the Perth-based transport company reported strong growth in revenues

The emergence of a new party of the radical left in Scotland, Rise (Respect, Independence, Socialism, Environmentalism), to be launched this weekend, has aroused much derision and allusions to Monty Python’s People's Front of Judea sketch. “How long before

CRIME in Scotland has seen a year-on-year increase, according to the latest police figures.A report from the single force, which will be submitted to a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority today, shows overall crime in Scotland rose 1.5 per cent in

WHEN Eilidh Child needs soothing re-assurance, it is her parents in Kinross to whom she turns. In moments where frank assessments are required, her coach Malcolm Arnold will not retain any punches unpulled. Yet in coming sixth in the world championship

So what are your markers of national identity? Do you see yourself as Scottish, Engilish, British, other? It can be complex. Me, I’m German-born, Northern Irish raised, Scottish by residency. Oh and fond of northern English pop and poetry and a London

In one sense, the statistic should be no surprise. Such is the gap between housing supply and demand, an increase in the proportion of households using the private rented sector was almost inevitable. Nevertheless, a jump from five per cent to 14 per

PICTURE the scene: You make a mild comment about union power and how the Government is right to continue efforts to curb it lest we return to the bad old days of the seventies when the nation was held to ransom by the “barons” of the labour movement.A

Andy Burnham believes he is winning over enough undecided Labour supporters to pip frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn to the party leadership.The Burnham camp's canvassing figures, seen by The Herald, suggest nearly a third of the 550,000 Labour members, affiliates

In business, reputation is an asset almost beyond price. Around the world, a single word attaches to Scotland's reputation in food and drink: quality. Industries valued collectively at £14 billion produce the best there is. “Scottish”, as a mark of provenance

IT is truly a wonderful world when a Labour politician, Alex Gallagher (Letters, August 26), calls for politicians to apologise for their actions which misled the public or just displayed incompetence.I am sure many of us would seek an apology at the

NORTH Sea-focused Iona Energy has slashed the valuation of a field again but expects to make big cost savings developing another one reflecting how the plunge in the crude price is impacting on firms in the area.Iona said it had cut the valuation of its

THE lovely actress Celia Imrie was discussing the ups and downs of being an actor at the Edinburgh Book Festival yesterday. As she described it: "I always liken an actor’s life to a game of snakes and ladders. Although if you say that to a young

MEDIUM sized firms punch above their weight in Scotland but are being stopped from achieving their potential by a lack of affordable long term funding, sector champions have said.A report by the CBI and BDO accountants found medium sized businesses make

By Geoff MawdsleyThe Scottish Government’s Commission on Local Tax Reform, which aims to look at "ways of developing a fairer system of local taxation", provides a real opportunity to reinvigorate local democracy in Scotland. However, to do

ROG WOODScotland Food and Drink is to conduct a study to trace the origin of dairy products on shelves in Scotland's supermarkets to improve transparency and help to identify opportunities to increase sales of Scottish products.First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

SCOTLAND’S burgeoning food and drink sector has declared its intention to create an additional 14,000 jobs by 2020, as companies forecast achieving average annual turnover growth of 19 per cent.Confidence in the industry’s future prospects has been underlined

THE Scottish Government is fond of setting a target or two. One of its most ambitious is to achieve a “smoke-free” Scotland by 2034.Figures released yesterday as part of the Scottish Household Survey for 2014 suggest that significant progress is being

Fringe MusicThe ExSummerhallFour starsSkatgobsGarageFour starsNeil CooperOne of the biggest musical draws on this year's Fringe has been Summerhall's Nothing Ever Happens Here programme, so named in ironical homage to those who mistakenly believe Edinburgh

Aberdeen Performing Arts (APA) and Visible Fictions are collaborating on a special festive production, A Ladder to the Stars, based on the children’s book by Simon Puttock. It has been made for a young audience aged three to seven years, and their parents

Hugh YoungIn recent years the emerging markets have looked vulnerable at times, but not to this extent. So what’s going on?Investors are mainly concerned about China. What’s changed has been their confidence in the ability of Chinese policymakers to manage

FASHION shopping app Mallzee has quadrupled user numbers this year as the company capitalises on the trend for people to use mobile phones to hunt for things like the clothes they want to wear. The company’s founder Cally Russell, who will tell a flagshop

Fringe TheatreTrans ScriptsPleasance CourtyardFour starsA Game of YouTraverse Theatre-goersFour starsNeil CooperSix women line the stage at the start of Paul Lucas' new play, Trans Scripts. At first glance, such a disparate array seem to have stepped

Strong wordsA HANDPICKED crowd of Scotland’s great and moneyed packed out the top of Edinburgh’s New Club last week at the invitation of financial adviser Alan Steel.Star of the alternative Fringe was Jim Mellon, Scottish fund manager turned master investor

ONE can't help but marvel in awe at the remarkable story of Leonie Muller, a young German woman who made international headlines this week after it was revealed she had ditched her Stuttgart flat for an unlimited rail travel pass and was living on

1 Great Scottish Swim Loch Lomond, Sat The UK’s largest freshwater expanse hosts Scotland’s biggest open water swimming event for a third year - with up to 2000 brave souls taking part over a range of distances. Registration is now closed,

Fringe CircusTrash Test DummiesFOUR STARSThe HogwallopsTHREE STARSLa MeuteTHREE STARSMary Brennanall at Underbelly’s Circus Hub, The MeadowsWhen is a wheelie bin not a wheelie bin? The moment one or other of the three Trash Test Dummies decides that it

Many will know Brooklyner Bryce Dessner best as the guitarist in moody rock band The National, where he plays alongside his twin brother Aaron. But his sister, Jessica Dessner is also an influence on his approach to writing music. “My sister is a contemporary

LEANING forward and gesturing excitedly, his sparkling blue eyes twinkling, Zac Efron is talking about "pushing buttons and fiddling knobs".But if you think the former High School Musical star is shaking off his clean-cut image and getting a

Ask Wayne McGregor or Christian Spuck what Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Shakespeare’s sonnets have in common and they’ll both seize on the fact that we all think we know these works so well, we don’t really bother to pay them close attention any more. The

One of the subjects being discussed at this week's Edinburgh Television Festival, which runs until Friday, is the future of BBC Three. The provisional plan is for the channel is to go entirely online next year and a new man, Max Gogarty, has been appointed

CATE Devine's excellent article on milk prices for farmers (“Would you be willing to pay an extra 10p a litre for the new Milk for Farmers?”, Herald Magazine, August 22) raises as many questions as answers. Before consumers can decide where to shop they

ARE Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon playing a double act of good cop, bad cop? Mr Salmond’s recent statement of continued mock outrage at Nick Robinson and the BBC (“Salmond condemns BBC coverage of independence poll as a disgrace”, The Herald, August

BUSINESS rates are crippling Scotland's high streets, are responsible for widespread job losses and in need of urgent reform, retail leaders have claimed.On the back of the commission into a replacement for the council tax, the Scottish Retail Consortium

THE Chilcot Inquiry, we may need to be reminded, in Sir John’s own words “will consider the period from the summer of 2001 to the end of July 2009, embracing the run-up to the conflict in Iraq, the military action and its aftermath” (“Chilcot set to

WHEN I was a young man China and Russia were considered economic backwaters of no relevance to the economy of the developed world. Since then globalisation has emasculated the manufacturing base in the UK and the United States and China is now the major

I NOTE with interest the article by David Ross (“Crofters call for measures to resettle lands hit by Clearances", The Herald, August 25); the headline must appeal to all who have an interest in land reform in Scotland.All that is missing is the commitment

SCOTTISH Gas has pledged to recruit 30 apprentices for smart metering roles around the country.The recruits, part of an intake of around 1000 across Britain this year, will receive technical training and study for the City & Guilds Level 2 QCF diploma

BREWDOG has announced it will open its second bar in Stockholm - and third in Sweden - later this month.The expansion reflects the craft brewer's success in the city, with Scandinavia its biggest export territory. It launched a bar in Gothenburg last

Sanmex International, the Glasgow-based aerosol manufacturer, saw pre-tax profits jump to £506,993 last year, a rise of over £300,000 from the £206,308 in 2013.That almost restored profit to its 2011 level of around £522,000, as turnover rose from £14.82m

THE Scottish Conservatives are set to have their biggest war-chest for any Holyrood election, estimated to top more than £1 million, thanks to the continuing largesse of Ian Taylor, the controversial oil trader and philanthropist. It is believed

THE concluding part of Ron Butlin’s paean to Glasgow, from his new collection The Magicians of Scotland (Polygon, £9.99), turns from the past to the present and future.GLASGOWBlasted clean of smoke and grime –New City, Now City!Sky-scraping Glass-and-Mirror

Straight Outta Compton (15)four starsDir: F Gary GrayWith: O’Shea Jackson Jr, Jason Mitchell, Corey HawkinsRuntime: 147 minutesIN F Gary Gray’s belter of a biopic, the music industry waters are thick with sharks, the police stand accused of being baton-happy

45 Years (15)four starsDir: Andrew HaighWith: Charlotte Rampling, Tom CourtenayRuntime: 95 minutesFROM slight premises do outstanding British feature films grow, particularly when a director can count on a cast led by Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling

We Are Your Friends (15)three stars Dir: Max JosephWith: Zac Efron, Diana PrinceRuntime: 96 minutesBEING the tale of four wannabes from the Hollywood Hills, Max Joseph’s drama has an inevitable air of Entourage about it, with Zac Efron leading the way

Fringe ComedyTez IlyasPleasance CourtyardFour starsEleanor TiernanLaughing Horse@The White HorseFour starsSofie HagenThe Liquid Rooms and George Next Door Four starsGayle AndersonGreat things were expected of newcomer, Tez Ilyas and great things were

It’s been a red-letter year for Zoë Kravitz – and it’s about time. Already in 2015, she’s appeared in YA sci-fi sequel Insurgent, drone strike drama Good Kill and George Miller’s bonkers action movie Mad Max: Fury Road. “I was working a lot for a few

The largest Waterstones bookshop in Scotland is on the market as a property investment. Savills is seeking offers over £4.25m for the 37,760 sq ft four storey building on Sauchiehall Street currently owned by Aviva Investors. The property is let

Skypark in Glasgow launched its latest office scheme this week with news that nano-satellite design firm Spire Global would be setting up a European HQ there, creating 50 new jobs. The firm, which has signed an 11-year lease on 6,361 sq ft at a