9am Briefing: Ryanair leaves 100 passengers stranded in Poland

Published on Wednesday 11 March 2009 08:58

BUDGET airline Ryanair left 100 passengers stranded in Poland for four days after their return flights to Edinburgh were cancelled, it was reported today.

Passengers complained they received no help from the airline and were left with bills of 500 each for the extra four days in Krakow.

Ryanair said customers would not get any compensation and weather-related cancellations were excluded under European law.

Chocolate tax call

CHOCOLATE should be taxed in a bid to control the obesity epidemic, a medical conference will hear today.Family doctor David Walker believes that chocolate is a "major player" in the problem of the country's expanding waistlines.

Taxing the treat would raise its profile as an unhealthy food which can contribute to weight-related conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure and back pain, the Lanarkshire GP will tell doctors at a conference in Clydebank.

New principal for QMU

EDINBURGH'S Queen Margaret University has appointed a new principal - Dr Petra Wend.

Dr Wend, currently deputy chief executive at Oxford Brookes University, will take up her new post in September following Professor Anthony Cohen's retiral.

500 to be in comedy festival

ORGANISERS of the Capital's "breakaway" comedy festival have said any show can be part of the event - if it stumps up 500 for inclusion in the programme.

The four biggest Fringe venues have revealed plans to open up the event to all venues, promoters and performers.

However, the fee for inclusion in the comedy festival brochure is over 200 more than that currently being charged to be included in the official Fringe programme.