- Firm shelves city biomass plant
- Section 30 independence vote urged
- Girl's cheekbone broken for phone
- Fire crews tackle 'difficult' blaze
- Two men bailed over ear attack
- NHS buildings need £1bn of repairs
- Footballer bailed over sectarianism
- Private property value rises £149bn
- Mercury plummets to winter low
- Dangerous road warning to drivers
- Rare dog abandoned on roadside
- Probe into Rangers takeover urged
- 33 lose job as floor firm goes bust
- Money 'will create youth jobs'
- Road chaos in icy 'perfect storm'
Opinion
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Terry Murden: Charles Hammond needs deals after power plant U–turn
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Martin Flanagan: Why Planet Normal must rein in the rhetoric
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Joyce McMillan: New slump but song remains same
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On The Scotsman iPad app: Gerry Hassan reflects on the nature of the debate on Scottish independence
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Terry Murden: Why we must defend the right to be a failure
On The Scotsman iPad app: Alf Young on the outlook for the Scottish economy
In the week that John Swinney saw his budget passed at Holyrood, Alf Young takes an in-depth look at the long-term forecast for the economy, and asks where in the world Scotland should take its policy cues from.
Stephen McGinty: Brought to book by crime
LET’S be honest – romance in print is all very well, but you can’t beat a really good crime thriller when there are so many great authors out there, writes Stephen McGinty
Stuart Waiton: Punters paying the penalty for racism storm
AS THE search begins for Fabio Capello’s replacement as England manager, there is yet another beautifully ironic twist to the anti-racist hysteria surrounding the John Terry case. In one of the leading “liberal” UK daily newspapers, the front page comment on Capello begins by explaining in a dismissive tone that, “Fabio Capello never bothered to learn much English, or much about England”.
2 commentsGerry Hassan: Men must learn what it takes to ask for help
STAGGERING suicide statistics for Scotland suggest that we must remould the idea of what qualities make a hero, writes Gerry Hassan
Analysis: Sanctions on Iran underscore delicate situation
INTERNATIONAL sanctions targeting Iran’s oil exports are inflicting economic pain but may well fail to force Tehran to compromise on its nuclear ambitions and may make it more intransigent.
Charles Cockell: Danger of shelving a project that inspires and intrigues
Mars – the Red Planet. Its surface captured the imagination of the Romans, who, in honour of its blood red colour, named it after their god of war.
Analysis: A chance to learn some very valuable lessons from our past mistakes
THIS excellent exhibition is a valuable record of a very important period in Scotland’s political history.
I was very much involved in the Referendum campaigns of 1979 and 1997, and the exhibition brought back many memories, both good and bad.
4 commentsAnalysis: ‘A major part of the maintenance ‘backlog’ is currently being tackled’
THERE are always certain features that characterise the release of any figures on how badly our public buildings are maintained.
Analysis: Delaying road repairs is a false economy – so get on with it
A CRUCIAL point to get across is that for every £1 cut in spending on road maintenance, it costs £1.50 in terms of damage to the road and all the consequences of this.
Analysis: Face facts – there’s no borrowing our way out of trouble
THERE is a number of reasons why people are finding it difficult to save in the current financial climate. People are still feeling cautious about investing given the uncertainty in world markets and economies, even though we continue to see a rise in valuations.
Leaders: Donald Trump’s swipe at wind farm site puts him in the rough
CONSIDERING that it was First Minister Alex Salmond who supported Donald Trump’s controversial luxury golf resort in Aberdeenshire and argued the case for its economic benefits in the teeth of widespread local opposition, the latest letter from the tycoon is astonishing in both content and tone.
6 comments
Hugh McLachlan: No taste for drink policy
Plans to use the law to influence our consumption of alcohol may or may not work, but they represent a poor state–citizen relationship, writes Hugh McLachlan
32 comments
Nicholas Tsagourias: Getting a seat at the big table might be tricky for Scotland
If Scotland votes to leave the UK, its membership of the UN and EU would not be automatic, writes Nicholas Tsagourias
52 comments
Michael Kelly: Like the poor, it seems greed is always with us
Soup kitchens for Scottish families are a sure sign that despite centuries of preaching no-one really seems to get the message, writes Michael Kelly
13 commentsTom Peterkin: It’s trying for voters as the media scrum are blind sided by First Minister’s clever handling
THE controversy over Alex Salmond’s attempt to cast himself as a rugby pundit has generated more spin than a scrum-half’s pass.
12 comments
Tim Cornwell: Who’s guarding the heritage guardians?
LAST year, a minor revolt against Historic Scotland by the country’s architecture and heritage watchdogs broke out into the open.
Eddie Barnes: This is one high-profile scrum the SNP will not want to lose
AT FIRST glance, the question of whether Alex Salmond should be a Calcutta Cup match pundit would not appear to be the stuff of constitutional fury ahead of the 2014 independence referendum.
16 commentsGreg Philo: Broadcasters often end up going for the safest option
THE BBC’s decision not to include Alex Salmond in their coverage of the Scotland v England rugby match was, for them, the correct one.
6 commentsAnalysis: As the ‘special relationship’ ends, Salmond’s other friends in green lobby will be watching
IT WAS just over three years ago that Donald Trump described Alex Salmond as “an amazing man”.
3 comments
Geroge Kerevan: Strict sanctions are the way to halt nuclear Iran
Bombing Tehran is not the answer as the stakes are raised in the standoff between bitter rivals Israel and Iran, writes George Kerevan
Analysis: Veil of anonymity for those who shelter the refugees
SHE found the newly-weds sleeping in a park. Frightened and with nothing but the clothes in which they had fled, they lay together, shivering against the cold.
Bill Jamieson: Madonna brings material benefits
The star’s visit to Edinburgh will be a big day for fans and a huge boost for the city, writes Bill Jamieson
2 commentsTavish Scott: The referendum game is missing one team
AMIDST meetings in London this week, an hour became clear. I beetled up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery.
12 commentsPat Kane: Labour for Independence isn’t a mad idea
Economic equity and social justice don’t exclude the context of an independent Scotland, writes Pat Kane
32 commentsFiona McCade: Put your cat in bread and make dough
WHEN I was seven, I went to Paris for the first time and my mum took a photo of me standing in front of a fountain in the Tuileries Gardens.
1 comment
Leaders: John Swinney’s cash giveaway buys the SNP some extra approval
FINANCE secretary John Swinney’s last-minute distribution of extra spending as the Scottish Parliament moved to final approval of his budget for Scottish Government spending in 2012-13 had the look of pennies being thrown by a departing bride and groom.
8 comments
Allan Massie: Beware resorting to scoundrelly patriotism
Both sides of the referendum debate would do well to heed the good doctor’s famous warning, writes Allan Massie
80 comments
Leaders: Empathy does not imply any lack of impartiality
HAS Scotland’s top civil servant, Sir Peter Housden, “gone native” and ceased to be impartial at the outset of a long and highly sensitive run-up to Scotland’s independence referendum?
11 commentsTristan Garel-Jones: Celts can achieve more together than apart
Opting out of the UK would prove to be a major mistake for both Scotland and Wales, writes Tristan Garel-Jones
11 comments
Brian Ashcroft: Debate on economics is only just starting
Alex Salmond’s idea of a sterling union is one route for an independent Scotland to go economically but it poses more questions than it provides answers, writes Brian Ashcroft
23 comments
On The Scotsman iPad app: Emma Cowing examines the reaction to terms of endearment
IN THIS column exclusively for The Scotsman iPad, Emma Cowing discusses the problems that some people have with certain words used to convey friendliness.
Jim Caldwell: Bullying of staff members at Education Scotland will be tackled
The recent survey results within Education Scotland are not all doom and gloom as your article, “Bullying claims rock Scots school watchdog”, suggests.
Eddie Barnes: All things to most people
RIGHT from the moment that Alex Salmond told the country the morning after the SNP’s victory last May that he did not have a “monopoly of wisdom”, the majority SNP Government has guarded against the appearance of hubris.
7 commentsLord Robertson: Cut the vitriol, we need a grown-up debate
WHENEVER I put my head above the parapet in my homeland, I am met with my infamous prediction that devolution would kill nationalism stone dead.
222 comments
Peter Jones: Jubilee may make Scots think again
The celebration of the Queen’s 60 years on the throne could have an impact on the independence debate, writes Peter Jones
42 commentsMartin Hannan: Why are we so wild about west?
There are a lot of lawyers, architects and planning consultants in this city who are licking their lips at the prospect of some juicy contracts emanating from the proposed sale of 365 acres of land to the west of Edinburgh.
1 commentHugh Reilly: Musical memories got me singing the blues
RECENT research struck a bum note when it revealed that approximately half of the UK’s music teachers cannot play an instrument.
2 commentsDavid Maddox: Departure of Huhne has left the Lib Dems vulnerable and could even unravel the coalition
THIS week is “get the yellow bastards week” as one right-wing Tory put it to this writer, and it certainly seems that Tory backbenchers have decided it is time to launch an attack on subjects close to their Lib Dem coalition partners’ hearts.
2 comments
John McLellan: Lack of cash keeps BBC reluctant to devolve its news
The corporation has the technology, but not the will, writes the editor of The Scotsman
14 comments
Jeff Salway: Shredding Fred Goodwin knighthood won’t bridge divide
QUICKER than you could say Lord Archer, the debate over the government’s decision to strip former Royal Bank of Scotland boss Fred Goodwin of his knighthood deflected back on to the wider issue of bankers’ pay.
Analysis: Alarm bells ringing over ways to ease cancer battle
WE KNOW the numbers of people getting cancer is increasing and these latest figures by the World Cancer Research Fund should signal alarm bells for the NHS and how we plan future cancer services.
Analysis: Tory critic who covets Clegg’s job – and might still get it
THE departure of Chris Huhne is not exactly a surprise, but it is a serious blow for the Liberal Democrats and their standing within the coalition.
Analysis: Harare faces more hardship as typhoid outbreak takes hold
NEWS of a typhoid outbreak in Harare that has so far infected more than 1,000 people sent me scurrying to check my international vaccinations card.
George Kerevan: Paying for superstars, but are they that good?
WHY do bankers earn so much? If there’s a reason other than pure greed, then Royal Bank of Scotland chairman Sir Philip Hampton is whistling in the wind when he says bankers’ pay has been “high for too long” and needs “corrected”.
1 comment
Martin Gill: Charities face rough ride on pensions
PUBLIC sector pension provision has attracted considerable debate over the last few months, yet many may not realise that a similar situation exists in the charity and not-for-profit sector.
Alf Young: Fiscal discipline key to new Scotland
THE Bank of England will not want to become a central bank for all of a fragmenting UK
23 commentsAnalysis: We’ve not exhausted all the easy improvement measures
GIVEN how badly most of our homes leak energy, it is perhaps not surprising that our housing stock is responsible for a quarter of Scotland’s climate emissions and, coupled with rising energy bills, that a third of Scottish households are now in fuel poverty.
2 commentsLeaders: Scottish Government must bring in the experts
RESISTING the temptation to apply the obvious epithet, the critique of the Scottish Government’s case for both independence and devo-max by Professor Arthur Midwinter of Edinburgh University’s Institute of Public Sector Accounting Research, which we carry today, could be fairly described as damning.
23 comments
- Alex Salmond under fire for Nazi jibe at BBC adviser
- Scottish independence: TV presenter Neil Oliver warns against knee-jerk decisions
- Donald Trump brands Alex Salmond ‘insane’ over windfarms
- Marian Kello dropped because he entered negotiations with English club
- Alex Salmond in formal complaint over BBC Calcutta Cup ‘snub’
- Alex Salmond under fire for Nazi jibe at BBC adviser
- Scottish independence: TV presenter Neil Oliver warns against knee-jerk decisions
- The Rumour Mill: Friday’s football news and gossip
- Minimum pricing on alcohol is legal in EU says Nicola Sturgeon
- Donald Trump brands Alex Salmond ‘insane’ over windfarms
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Weather for Edinburgh
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 3 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: West
