Archive

It was the result that was expected (nowhere more than in these columns as more than a few readers spotted!) but once again the All Blacks failed to convince that they are worthy of their favourite status at this tournament.Defending champions and world

GOOD DAYFor Warren Gatland’s ego as the Wales head coach absorbs all the complimentary talk being directed his way.Not that the man who was once sacked by Ireland after leading them to four wins in a championship season for the first time in more than

In the politically correct world of modern international rugby coaching where it generally seems to be considered unacceptable to say anything the least bit disrespectful about potential upcoming opponents, there was something refreshing about Warren

A run of 10 successive defeats against the team they are opposing next is hardly designed to inspire confidence in any side, but the way they contributed to the hosts’ early exit has inspired belief that they are capable of doing anything.Admittedly it

IT was the waiting which did for Alex McLeish in the end. The demoralising defeats to Georgia and Italy which did for Scotland's Euro 2008 hopes were bad enough, but the prospect of having to hang around for another nine or so months before you could

ALEX McLeish believes his friend Gordon Strachan will stay on as national team boss to guide Scotland into their qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. With his contract set to expire after tomorrow's meaningless final-day encounter with

So, where did it all go wrong then Gordon?And, perhaps more importantly, what has to change now in order to get it right?A Euro 2016 qualifying bid which began with such hope after a stirring fightback against the newly-crowned world champions Germany

FOR Russell Martin, Georgia will always be on his mind.That night in Tbilisi when the Scotland national team forgot how to play football and allowed a genuinely bad opponent outplay them in a shameful defeat will never leave the Norwich City defender.Even

GLASGOW 2014 isn't a shiny happy memory for absolutely everyone. Many participants gush with pride when they think back to events in the city 12 months ago but, as he prepares to compete at the Emirates Arena today in the European Open, Patrick Dawson

GLASGOW CITY have now seen first-hand what Chelsea are made of in the Champions League.And captain Leanne Ross claims there is nothing to fear next week when the Scots attempt to overturn a narrow 1-0 last 32 first leg defeat inflicted on Thursday night.In

Being in the company of Denis Law is a humbling experience for any follower of Scottish football, but it is also a frustrating reminder of the attacking riches that our national team once possessed. What football fan could help but be a little

Jim Duffy admits that it took a good few days for Morton to get over the injury-time goal that saw them lose to Raith Rovers.Jason Thompson’s 92nd minute strike last week was harsh on ‘Ton, but Duffy now insists they are ready to take out their frustration

THE former boss of Marks and Spencer Lord Stuart Rose will head the campaign for Britain to stay in the European Union.The Conservative was unveiled as chair of the In Campaign ahead of its official launch on Monday and said the UK was "stronger

Barcelona have thrown their "full support" behind star striker Lionel Messi as he continues to face allegations of tax fraud. A Spanish state attorney has announced that he intends to try the player and his father Jorge on three counts of tax fraud

Sunderland have named Sam Allardyce as their new manager on a two-year deal.The Premier League club announced the news on Friday evening, having opened talks with him in a bid to replace Dick Advocaat, who left his post last Sunday.The news of Allardyce's

SAMOA’s new captain has warned Scotland that his team’s morale is high despite two consecutive losses. Kahn Fotuali’i, the scrum-half, has taken over as skipper from the injured Ofisa Treviranus. He is sure his squad have the talent - and, perhaps just

A FULLY-FIT Scotland squad with a whole week of preparation behind it is ready to go head to head with Samoa and claim a place in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup, according to assistant coach Duncan Hodge. The team have had the customary seven

FOUR years ago at this stage of the Rugby World Cup, Scotland faced a must-win game against England. They lost it, and before they knew it they were out of their hotels and on their way home. Tournament over.It was a galling experience that Ross Ford,

SCOTLAND go into their biggest game for four years this afternoon, knowing that if all goes well it will pale into insignificance compared to the match which will follow eight days later. Such is the nature of knockout sport: the magnitude of your involvement

A FULLY-FIT Scotland squad with a whole week of preparation behind it is ready to go head to head with Samoa and claim a place in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup, according to assistant coach Duncan Hodge. The team has had the customary seven

THIS Scotland team is the one everyone expected Vern Cotter to pick, and it is the one I would have picked myself. It is particularly pleasing to see the return of Finn Russell and Mark Bennett, because those two backs give us a cutting edge in attack

The parents of Nobel prize-winner Malala Yousafzai have spoken of the attack on their daughter and called it "true cowardice" to not believe in women's freedom. Toor Pekai and Ziauddin Yousafzai were speaking at the Women in the World conference

SCOTLAND fans are feeling tender enough about things today without Wales following the example of Northern Ireland and reminding them of what they could have won. After Michael O'Neill's side clinched their first appearance at a major finals since 1986

Inverness have knocked back Dundee United's move for boss John Hughes, the club have announced in a statement. United are on the look-out for a new boss following the sacking of Jackie McNamara and Hughes is the man they want to replace him.

Rising SNP star Mhairi Black has told of the "subtle sexism" she has encountered while serving as Britain's youngest MP. The 21-year-old, who defied expectations in May by toppling Labour's Douglas Alexander from his Paisley and Renfrewshire South

One in four Syrian refugees who comes to the UK this year could be taken in by Scotland, according to the SNP. The party has called for more action from UK ministers and urged them not to close the doors to "wee boys and girls and mums and dads

THE family who have been at the heart of one of the EU's largest shellfish producers since its formation stand to get nearly £50 million after agreeing a sale of the Scots firm to a Canadian seafood firm.Clearwater Seafoods will pay £98.4m for the Peterhead-based

Director Robert Zemeckis said he may not have made his new film The Walk had it not been for the events of 9/11. He said that the 2001 terrorist attacks immortalised Philippe Petit's daring high-wire walk between the Twin Towers in August 1974

Theresa May has defended her controversial speech on immigration, saying the issue "matters to people". The Home Secretary faced an angry backlash from business leaders, charities and opponents as she announced a sharp tightening of rules on asylum

THE King did not quite say off with their heads but he did suggest that those who want a change of Scotland manager are off their heads.Kenny Dalglish no less was in the east end of Glasgow to open a centre, just a Roy Aitken clearance from Celtic Park

Hundreds of junior hospital dentists in England are to be balloted for industrial action in the row over NHS contracts. It will be the first time members of the dental profession have been asked to consider taking industrial action. The British

Clayton Williams has accepted his driving caused the death of PC Dave Phillips and has "extended his apologies" to the father-of-two's family, a statement from his solicitor said. But the 18-year-old, who is charged with murder, maintains he did

A shooting at Northern Arizona University that killed one student and wounded three others began as a fight between two groups, police have said. University officials said the suspected shooter was in custody, and police spokesman JT Fowler identified

A CONVICTED phone hacker has claimed the News of the World routinely hacked the phone of David Beckham. The paper's former head of news Greg Miskiw, who served just over one month of a six month prison sentence in 2014 for intercepting voicemail

GLASGOW suffered a sharp year-on-year drop in hotel revenues in July, having been boosted by the Commonwealth Games last summer, as Aberdeen continued to feel the effects of the oil sector’s woes, a survey has shown.The survey of three and four-star properties

FORMER Antiques Roadshow presenter Hugh Scully has died at the age of 72, it has been announced. Scully, who would become synonymous with the show over almost two decades before leaving in 2000, passed away while watching television on Thursday

THE FIRST public hearing in the trial of seven men including former owner Craig Whyte and ex chief executive Charles Green over the alleged fraudulent Sevco acquisition of Rangers has been shifted from Glasgow to the High Court in Edinburgh. The

CHAMPIONSHIP leader Lewis Hamilton lamented a lack of on-track action as both practice sessions for Sunday's Russian Grand Prix were thwarted by external factors.A bizarre diesel spillage from a truck, which was sent out to sweep the track ahead of practice

Miners led the London market higher today, at the end of a week which saw it deliver its strongest weekly gains for almost four years.The FTSE 100 Index rose 41.3 points to 6416.2, securing eight days of rises in a row as commodity stocks dominated the

Former broadcaster Gordon Honeycombe has died in Australia aged 79. The newsreader, best known for his time on ITN and TV-am, was said to have been ill for some time. A statement on the TV-am website, posted by Ian White, a BBC reporter and

Police are appealing for witnesses after a suspicious fire at a building site in Edinburgh. The incident happened at around 10.40pm on Wednesday in Haddington Place where new student accommodation is being built. It is estimated the cost of

BUS operators have been invited to bid for the latest round of green bus funding. The Scottish Government is seeking applications from bus companies wanting a share of the £3 million funding pot released to boost the number of low carbon vehicles

Members of a gang has been jailed for a total of nearly 50 years for their involvement in a large-scale drugs operation in central Scotland. Prosecutors said the sentences marked the culmination of a surveillance investigation into the drugs network

A DRUGS gang including a convicted killer who ran a £1 million heroin ring from his prison cell have been jailed for a total of almost 50 years. Murderer Stephen Nisbet, 40, used a secret stash of mobile phones inside HMP Edinburgh to arrange drug

Jeremy Corbyn has warned the Conservatives they will be judged on their actions and not their words as he branded his rivals' conference a "feast of spin and deception" with Government ministers making "fake claims" The new Labour leader insisted

Britain's construction sector shrank at its sharpest rate for almost three years in August, according to official data, fuelling concerns that the economy slowed in the third quarter.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) also said the UK's trade deficit

The parliamentary watchdog will not investigate a complaint made against MP Michelle Thomson, who has stepped down as  SNP party whip at Westminster amid an investigation into her property dealings. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards

Police are continuing the search for hillwalker Robin Garton, who has been missing for more than two weeks. Mr Garton, 69, from Devizes, Wiltshire, was last seen in the Glencoe area of the Highlands on the morning of Friday September 25. The

LOVE the pictures. This week saw three. Everest, an unlikely account of how dangerous it is to sell double-glazing in what appeared to be Newarthill in July; The Walk, which would have been more impressive if the geezer strolling across a wire between

MusicScottish Ensemble and RCS String Ensemble, RCS, GlasgowMichael TumeltyFour starsBUCCANEERING Brio! That is not an epithet (though it would be a good one). It’s an attempt to describe the extraordinary vivacity and almost swashbuckling elan with which

ECOTOURISTS may be putting wildlife at risk by changing the behaviour of the creatures they flock to see, researchers have warned.Animals that become accustomed to large numbers of visitors are likely to lose some of their instinct for self preservation

Scotland's social justice secretary has accused the UK Government of choosing to "sweep the issue of child poverty under the carpet" as it prepares to make "devastating cuts" to tax credits. Alex Neil criticised the Conservative administration

Barclays is reported to have made an approach to Standard Life chairman Sir Gerry Grimstone to join its board. Sir Gerry has been on the board at the Edinburgh insurer since 2003 and its chairman since 2007. He knows current Barclays chairman

An application has been lodged to gain protected food name status for Orkney crab. The European Union scheme provides a system for the protection of food names on geographical or traditional recipe basis to help guard against imitation. The

Engaging pupils with industry, working to prevent offending and supporting disabled people into work were among the prominent themes in this year's bumper entry for the annual Herald Society Awards. Now in their eighth year, the event gives an

DAVID Forsey, the chief executive of the Sports Direct and director of Rangers Retail has been charged with a criminal offence relating to the collapse of Mike Ashley's clothing firm USC. The 49-year-old executive who sits on the board of Rangers

A £3.5 million facility described as one of the centrepieces of the Commonwealth Games legacy has been officially opened. Fifty full-time jobs have been created by the establishment of the Dalmarnock Legacy Hub which houses a nursery, GP and dental

US President Barack Obama has overhauled Washington's approach to supporting Syrian rebel forces following this year's deeply troubled launch of a US military training programme.Defence Secretary Ash Carter said the new approach would focus more on enabling

Police in East Lothian are appealing for witnesses following two separate break-ins and thefts in Musselburgh during the early hours of the morning.Both incidents occurred between 12.50am and 1am at addresses in Queen Margaret University Way.Those responsible

An Italian police aircraft carrying 19 Eritreans has taken off from Rome's Ciampino airport bringing the first refugees to Sweden under the EU's new resettlement programme.The scheme is aimed at redistributing asylum seekers from hard-hit receiving countries.The

Standard Chartered's new chief executive Bill Winters has plans to cut about 1,000 of the bank's most senior staff to reduce costs, according to a memo sent to staff. The cull shows the scale of the overhaul Mr Winters is planning at the Asia-focused

THE long-running search for a teacher for a five-pupil primary school in a remote Highland community appears to be over. Highland Council is on the verge of appointing a member of staff to Scoraig Primary School, on a peninsula west of Ullapool

One in three young men in China is likely to die from the effects of smoking tobacco, research has found, although the number could fall if they quit smoking.The study, by researchers from Oxford University, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and

North Sea focused Ithaca Energy has received a $66 million funding boost which will allow it to explore further opportunities in the Greater Stella Area.The deal marks the first move into the North Sea by DKL Investments, a subsidiary of Israeli energy

The stars of Celtic Football Club have united to say no to racism in a new video.  The players are delivering the anti-racism message as the club prepares to kick-start a camapign to promote the issue.  The Parkhead outfit will join clubs across

A politician from Angela Merkel's party has warned David Cameron he risks losing Scotland and much of the UK’s economic firepower if Britain leaves the European Union. The Prime Minister is due to celebrate his 49th birthday today by holding talks with

Comic book fans have been given their first glimpse of David Tennant as a villain in the new Netflix Marvel series. Tennant has dropped his Scottish accent in favour of an English twang for his portrayal of 'The Purple Man', AKA Dr Zebediah Kilgrave

NHS staff are investigating two suspected cases of wound botulism in injecting drug users.  It has been confirmed that one case has been identified in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and one in NHS Lanarkshire.  Both individuals are receiving hospital

Four stars Pro: seamless integration of physical and digital world Con: cost of add-ons Have you ever fancied driving the Batmobile through the land of Oz or battling Daleks as Gandalf? If so, Lego Dimensions is the game for you.

A BOOK by a University of Aberdeen historian on the early years of Adolf Hitler is to be turned into a major television series. Hitler’s First War, by Professor Thomas Weber, will be dramatised for an international audience and has been picked up by French

The Liberal Democrats narrowly defeated the SNP to take a Scottish council seat in their first victory at the ballot box north of the border since May. The Lib Dem success came after four rounds of voting with the two parties neck and neck in the

Glasgow and MTV have scooped three top prizes at the prestigious Scottish Event Awards. Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB) won the Best International Event and Best Large Event awards and Event Management Grand Prix title for Glasgow's hosting

A rash of individual attacks between Palestinians and Israelis are threatening to spread throughout Israel as tensions increase.A 14-year-old Israeli and a police officer were stabbed in separate incidents while an Israeli stabbed four Arabs in the southern

Laundry and textile rental specialist Fishers Services has agreed to sell its cleanroom division to an English firm for an undisclosed sum. However the deal for Fenland Laundries, which trades under the Micronclean brand, to acquire the Livingston

A Tunisian coalition of workers, employers, human rights activists and lawyers has won the Nobel Peace Prize.The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet was hailed for pulling the country that sparked the Arab Spring back on to a path towards democracy and

Great British Bake Off host Sue Perkins has claimed that Mary Berry drinks like a "19th century pirate". The Bake Off presenter joined Alan Carr for the Chatty Man Stand Up To Cancer special, where they looked back at Wednesday's final. Joking

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for witnesses after a woman was pushed down an escalator at Waverley Station. The 23-year-old was making her way down the escalator leading from Princes Street to Waverley Station at around 5.40pm on Thursday,

Ambulance workers in Scotland are to vote on strike action amid complaints of "excessive demands" on staff. The GMB union said its members had backed an industrial action ballot over a series of issues including rising levels of stress, complaints

Worldpay's private equity owners, Advent International and Bain Capital, have narrowed the price range set for the London listing of the payments processor, according to sources.The owners are reported to have trimmed 10 pence off the higher and lower

Australia is talking to the Philippines about resettling illegal migrants who try to reach its shores.A multi-million deal to resettle refugees from an Australian-run detention camp on the Pacific nation of Nauru to Cambodia already exists.But so far,

Police have appealed for witnesses after a 53-year-old woman was hit in the face with a can by a man on a train. British Transport Police are appealing for information after the woman was assaulted on the train travelling between Edinburgh and

REMOTE airports in Scotland attracted record passengers of more than 1.4 million last year. New destinations and extra capacity on existing routes saw passenger traffic through Highlands and Islands airports such as Benbecula, Stornoway and Tiree

The thriving young entrepreneurial network We are the Future, led by a 21-year old “university drop-out”, is in negotiations to expand operations to China, its founder Bruce Walker told the Sunday Herald.The not-for-profit network, which Walker as described

A FORMER medical student whose dream is to become a doctor has walked free from court after being cleared of two terrorism charges.Yousif Badri, 29, was found not guilty of downloading extremist magazines, books and videos which would be useful to a person

A TREASURE trove of trophies won by one of Scotland's best-known and most successful competitive pipers is to go under the hammer at auction. The haul of medals, worth between £12,000 and £18,000, was amassed by Donald MacPherson during a career spanning

The UK Government has offloaded a further one per cent stake in Lloyds Banking Group to City investors, reducing its holding in the bank to less than 11 per cent.The latest sale means it has recouped £15.5 billion for the taxpayer to date, having spent

New legislation on burials and cremations will ensure the Mortonhall baby ashes scandal never happens again, the Scottish Government said. Ministers plan to change the law, introducing a legal definition of ashes and requiring authorities to keep

UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Scottish Football Association for its handling of Thursday's Euro 2016 qualifier between Scotland and Poland at Hampden Park. The governing body listed "insufficient organisation", "field invasions

The Saturdays' Frankie Bridge is the first celebrity confirmed for the 2016 Strictly Come Dancing UK Tour. Bridge, a finalist in the 2014 series, was due to appear on this year's tour but pulled out when she discovered she was pregnant with her

A campaign to encourage more people to go on a sailing holiday in Scotland has boosted the country’s economy by £1.3 million.Business and Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing said Sail Scotland - the national marketing organisation for sailing tourism - had

POLICE are hunting thieves who made off with nine tonnes of Kellogg's cereal bars from a lorry park. Detectives say the bars were in an articulated trailer decorated with red Curries livery which was taken from the Lockerbie Lorry Park at Johnstonebridge

GLASGOW Airport has been crowned UK Airport of Year in recognition of growing passenger numbers, new routes and customer service. Scotlands' second busiest airport was named the winner at the National Transport Awards ceremony in London on Thursday

The Government has offloaded a further 1% stake in Lloyds Banking Group to City investors, reducing its holding in the bank to less than 11%. The latest sale means it has recouped £15.5 billion for the taxpayer to date, having spent around £20.5

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has signed a £1.35 billion facility with banks to fund its proposed merger with Gala Coral.The new facility has three tranches and will be available for drawing subject to completion of the merger, the company said.Ladbrokes, headed

MusicErja LyytinenVoodoo Rooms, EdinburghRob AdamsTHREE STARSBlues, like jazz, is long-established as an international music, and just as northern European musicians created their own strain of jazz with an accent particular to their part of the world

It will take time and patience to reach a sensible, orderly outcome following HR survey, writes Ken Mann You’ve probably read, heard, seen or clicked on the news that about a third of the total workforce of the recently region-merged Police Scotland

MusicBBC SSO/Dausgaard, City Hall, GlasgowMichael TumeltyThree StarsGLASGOW on Thursday night was heaving, with 52,000 at Hampden, 12,000 at One Direction, another few thousand at UB 40, and a more modest 1000-ish in the City Hall to catch a glimpse and

Music Low, Art School, Glasgow Keith Bruce five stars A performance by Minnesota-bred trio Low is a particularly intimate transaction between the band and the audience, and over the fifteen years I've been going to their Glasgow shows

One of Scotland's most senior police officers may face charges of gross misconduct amid allegations he cheated on an elite command course. Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson was this summer accused of passing a subordinate's work off as his

Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy actor Ron Perlman has been unveiled as the latest cast member for JK Rowling's Harry Potter spin-off film, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Perlman is the latest star

So-called revenge porn is being targeted in a new Bill introduced by the Scottish Government today. Scotland's top prosecutor, the Lord Advocate, welcomed the move to tackle the "form of insidious abuse" - often against women - which in some cases

POLICE are trying to identify the driver of a small dark coloured vehicle after a man was killed in a hit and run attack. The 57-year-old, who has not been named, died after being struck by the vehicle outside a bar and restaurant in Comiston,

MPs have invited Tony Blair to give evidence to an inquiry into compensation for Libyan-sponsored IRA attacks. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi gave arms and Semtex explosives to the republican group during the Troubles. The Northern Ireland Affairs

A nurse who is in a "serious condition" with a late complication of the Ebola infection visited a school the day before she was readmitted to hospital. Pauline Cafferkey was flown from Glasgow to an isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in

Actor Ben Whishaw has said there should be no debate about gay actors playing straight characters, and vice versa. The 34-year-old, who is gay, has portrayed characters of both sexual orientation on screen in the past, including gadgets guru Q

Leon Brittan's brother has said Labour deputy leader Tom Watson should apologise after police dropped a rape inquiry against the former home secretary. Sir Samuel Brittan accused the MP of making "unfounded accusations" which had prompted police

Theatre actress Patti LuPone has credited former Britain's Got Talent runner-up Susan Boyle for Les Miserables reaching its 30th anniversary. Boyle appeared on the TV talent show in April 2009 singing I Dreamed A Dream, a song made famous by LuPone

SNOW White descended upon Glasgow this week in the form of a mini-show promo for the upcoming panto at the King’s Theatre, a sampler of a show starring Gregor Fisher as the Henchman, Juliet Cadzow as the Wicked Queen and Des Clarke as Muggles the Idiot.But

Gordon Brown makes rather a habit these days of intervening in fraught political debates at the 11th hour. In the final days of the referendum campaign, the former Prime Minister was instrumental in agreeing a timetable for extra powers for Holyrood.

EASTENDERS has made UK soap history by casting a transgender actor to play a transgender character in a continuing role.Riley Carter Millington, 21, is set to join the cast playing transgender character, Kyle.Viewers will get a brief glimpse of Kyle on

JEREMY Corbyn will today seek to put behind him the row over his “snub” to the Queen with a visit to Scotland to help raise money for the Scottish Labour Party.Ahead of a fund-raising gala dinner in Glasgow, the Labour leader will visit a housing association

MARC WARREN made the most of new equipment to impress playing partner Darren Clarke – next year’s Ryder Cup captain – by firing a flawless 65 in the opening round of the British Masters at Woburn.The Scot had an early share of the lead but had to settle

Late on Monday, two women overheard in a restaurant near the conference centre in Manchester were talking about their day. One, bemoaning the fact that she’d left her glasses in her hotel that morning, said she decided not to go back for them because

MY ADVICE to you this week is: do not be vexed by vexillology. Hope that helps.It may help, in particular, if you’re fogged by flags or bewildered by standards, as the v-word is the study of same, which important news I could not have brought you yesterday

GLASGOW has officially entered the running to stage the 2019 European Indoor Championships after UK Athletics confirmed it has finalised its bid to host the biennial event.The proposal, submitted to European Athletics, would see the three-day showpiece

THANKS to September’s Indian summer, roses are still blooming in profusion, so Thomas Moore’s elegy from his Irish Melodies may seem a little premature. But its sentiments, tied to a sweet melody, made it a popular round-the year song for Victorian drawing

BUYING a home in Scotland is often more cost-effective than renting, a new study has found. Analysis by the property website Zoopla.co.uk has revealed that the cost of renting a two-bedroom home compared to servicing a mortgage works out cheaper than

LEWIS HAMILTON has described Red Bull's threat to quit Formula One as "really odd" and claimed a failure to challenge for the title was not a good enough reason to turn their back on the sport.Red Bull, who won four consecutive world championships

It has been hard to be sure who is to blame for the paralysis at Glasgow Clyde College since the suspension of its principal Susan Walsh in February.It is understood that allegations relating to a 'perceived culture' of bullying and fear were behind the

I NOTE with interest your editorial on Theresa May’s speech this week to the Conservative Party conference (“Facts and fiction in heated debate about immigration”, The Herald, October 7, and the Agenda item by Professor Alison Phipps (“May’s plans to

RANGERS wide man Fraser Aird insists he has no regrets after choosing Canada over Scotland and cannot wait to make his debut.Aird has opted to accept an invite from Canada to play in a friendly this week against Ghana before they start their World Cup

Family owned Forrest Furnishing has bounced back into profit in its most recent financial year helped by a near 11 per cent rise in turnover.Annual accounts for the long-established Glasgow business, still one of the largest independent furniture retailers

THE Herald has announced the nominations for the categories in the Scottish Politician of the Year contest. We like the reaction of Tory MSP Murdo Fraser who pointed out: "Nice of The Herald judges to nominate me for two awards. Hope they remember

TEST drilling for unconventional coal and gas has been given the go-ahead as part of an 18-month process to determine whether industrial-scale fracking should be allowed in Scotland.A detailed research programme into the potential benefits and possible

FOR thousands of Gaels from across the world, all roads lead to Argyll where the Royal National Mod opens tonight with a torchlight procession.The premier Gaelic festival returns to its spiritual home in Oban for the first time since 2009 and being held

Prices for dairy products rose on average by 9.9 per cent at this week's GDT (Global Dairy Trade) auction. The biggest movers on the day were butter milk powder which rose by 13.8 per cent, skim milk powder that increased by 13.4 per cent and whole milk

THE pioneering work of a Scottish Presbyterian minister and astronomer who predicted space flight in the mid-19th century has been uncovered by a researcher in Canada. William Leitch, who was born in Rothesay, wrote a book in 1862 in which he correctly

Ever since I've known what Catalonia is, I've tried to explain it to as many people as I could find. "How's life in Spain?" friends would ask when I to went to my native US for a visit from my new home in Barcelona. "Uhh, well, it's not exactly

BASIC mathematics skills amongst Scottish pupils were lower than expected in this summer’s exams, senior officials have warned. A report by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) found pupils struggled with maths qualifications at a number

GEORGE Osborne was in typically ebullient form at this week’s Conservative Party conference, with his customary lack of any self-doubt about his economic track record. The Chancellor told delegates: “We turned our country around, and together we

THE former boss of one of Scotland’s biggest beer firms has invested more than £1 million to launch a craft brewery.John Dunsmore, the drinks industry heavyweight who used to run Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) and C&C Group, has insisted there is still plenty

AS teenage girls queue up to scream at One Direction at The Hydro this week in Glasgow, they should know that their grandmothers were doing something similar at Glasgow's Odeon in 1964 when the Beatles were playing. As this young woman is helped away

On the same day that he opened the new Scottish Chamber Orchestra season at Edinburgh's Usher Hall, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin yesterday announced the appointment of conductor Robin Ticciati as its new Principal Conductor and Music Director,

With the violin and cello packed side by side in the back of the car, we’re on the road home from our gig in Dundee. Cellist Su-a Lee is reminiscing about the first ever Mr McFalls Chamber gig, 20 years ago, at a notorious nightclub called the Transporter

MINISTERS could face a legal challenge after sacking the board of a Scottish college at the centre of a row over the suspension of its principal.The outgoing board of Glasgow Clyde College said it was "stunned" by the decision by Angela Constance

“Crowds at gigs in Cairo are loud and intrusive - in a good way, it’s like the city,” Maurice Louca is explaining down Skype as, bang on cue, a loud motorbike zooms past with a high buzz. “If they like something, they’ll show it. There isn’t that kind

Right now whenever I’m asked to comment on the situation in Syria it tends to be centred on three main questions?First, has Russia’s intervention made Syria more dangerous and what does Moscow expect to gain from its increased involvement? Second, what

SCOTTISH property factors will be asked to consider introducing a communal fund to cover maintenance costs in shared facilities at a conference in Glasgow today.The call has come from Timothy Lovat, president of the Property Managers Association Scotland

I HOPE Professor Paul Jowitt (Letters, October 7) is better informed about his own subject than he is about the cinema.Charlton Heston appeared in El Cid, not Kirk Douglas, nor did El Cid’s supporters call his name. All this is in Spartacus, which did

I NOTE that NATO's secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg says that Russia's violation of Turkish airspace "does not look like an accident" (“Nato doubts Russian view”, The Herald, October 7). Possibly, but one could say the same thing about the

TIM Hopkins (Letters, October 8) is right to complain about discrimination regarding pension entitlements for surviving spouses in same-sex marriages. However, the solution is to remove these benefits in respect of all future pensionable service for all

IT’S time for my annual letter of complaint regarding your Politician of the Year Awards (“Sturgeon on course to lift her fourth Politician of Year gong”, The Herald, October 8). How many times do I need to implore you to abandon this exercise in toadying

ABERDEEN-based IMES Marine Safety Systems has invested £250,000 to open a workshop and warehouse at Montrose Port.The company said the redevelopment of the 20,000 square foot quayside facility, which is leased from the Montrose Port Authority (MPA), will

AS an SNP voter, I find it exceedingly worrying to hear that the party are intending to water down the moratorium on fracking (“SNP rift widens as fracking motion is watered down”, The Herald, October 8).It is significant that the term "water down

FIRST we have an English MP referring Michelle Thomson to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner (“Thomson reported to sleaze watchdog”, The Herald, October 7) then we have a Labour MSP doing likewise (“Labour voices own call for parliament’s standards

DR John Cameron (Letters, October 8) repeats the simplistic claim that when the Scottish Government gets significant new powers, it can improve current benefits or create new ones simply by raising tax rates or making savings elsewhere. But it is not

Sandy Finlayson, 64, has stepped down as senior partner at MBM Commercial. Stuart Hendry, 42, a co-founder of the management buy-out from Murray Beith Murray 10 years ago, takes over the firm which has six partners and 24 staff in Edinburgh and London

The Scottish-based Islamic Finance Council UK has won a $100,000 award after seeing off competition from over 200 organisations from across the globe. The third Ethical Finance Challenge and Innovation Award, created by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Thomson

THE Baillie Gifford Japan Trust outperformed its benchmark index significantly in its latest year.Among the companies in the Edinburgh-based investment trust’s portfolio that enabled this strong showing were Temp Holdings and Outsourcing. The trust said

The world economy is at “an important juncture, with tensions growing in different areas” Standard Life Investments has said.But it does not expect further shocks in China or renewed falls in commodity prices.Jeremy Lawson, SLI’s chief economist, says

William Taylor. An appreciation.William Taylor, known as Willie or Jock, who has died at the age of 101, led an extraordinary and unusual life. Unassuming and modest, his experiences spanned three generations and took in so much that we take for granted

ANAS Sarwar, the former deputy leader of Scottish Labour, has teamed up with former colleague David Miliband to help Syrian refugees arriving on the Greek island of Lesbos. Mr Sarwar is attempting to raising £35,000 within the next two weeks to