Politics
Scottish independence: Scotland ‘would need its own currency before joining eurozone’
AN INDEPENDENT Scotland would need to create its own currency before it could join the euro, it has been claimed.
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Scottish independence: Referendum date not a ‘barrier to an agreement’
THE date of the referendum on Scottish independence is not likely to be a “barrier to an agreement” between Holyrood and Westminster over the vote, Scottish Secretary Michael Moore said today.
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Greece crisis: Judge appointed caretaker PM as country sets new elections
SENIOR judge Panagiotis Pikramenos was named Greece’s caretaker prime minister today, and new elections will be held on June 17, according to reports on state TV.
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Bank of England warns of economic storm heading from Europe
MERVYN King, governor of the Bank of England, warned today of the “risk of a storm heading our way from the Continent” as he flagged the eurozone as the greatest threat to the UK’s recovery.
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Bus lane and cameras add up to a left turn for worse
FAMILIES in an east Edinburgh street have complained of being landed with £60 fines every day as they must drive through a bus lane to get home.
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Scottish independence: MoD ‘will want out’ of separate Scotland Picture gallery
THE Ministry of Defence will “want out” of an independent Scotland, moving defence contracts to territory “controlled by London”, a leading military analyst declared in the latest clash over the impact of secession.
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Baffled and bitter Rebekah Brooks: I am the victim of witch hunt video
FORMER News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks last night angrily denounced the decision to charge her and six others with perverting the course of justice as a “waste of public money”.
In full: The CPS charging announcement on Rebekah Brooks and others
READ the charging announcement of Rebekah Brooks and her alleged co-conspirators - including her husband Charles Brooks - published today by the Crown Prosecution Service following the news that the couple and four others have been charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Scottish pensions crisis: Scots born today ‘will retire at 77’
SCOTS infants will be forced to work until they are 77 years old before they become eligible for a state pension, according to a new report that paints a grim picture of aged toil.
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Alex Salmond to appear on US national TV to reaffirm US-Scottish ties video
FIRST Minister Alex Salmond will tell a national US television audience that an independent Scotland will retain the “firmest and strongest” of bonds with the United States, in an interview with Scottish TV star Craig Ferguson to be broadcast later this evening.
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Independent Scotland ‘can spend £1bn less on defence’
An independent Scotland could defend itself while saving more than a third of current defence spending, according to a study.
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Eddie Barnes: Honest debate over university tuition costs required
ALEX Salmond famously declared before last year’s Scottish elections that “the rocks will melt with the sun” before he asks graduates to pay back the cost of their tuition after graduating, as is happening in England. The pledge prompted Labour, in slightly less flowery language, and with notably less conviction, to match him as best they could. Now, a drastic acceleration in climate change excepting, it appears that the latter could be the first to have a rethink on this most steaming of hot potatoes.
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Leaders: Greece and the eurozone face only hard choices
GREEK mythology tells of Odysseus having to sail between two deadly sea monsters, Scylla and Charybdis, both capable of destroying his ship and killing all on board.
1 commentCouncillor keeps seat after count
THE count of a box of ballots that were missed during a council election has made no difference to the outcome, it has emerged.
Keith Brown faces questions over state of lifeline A83
A HOLYROOD committee hopes to question transport minister Keith Brown about problems on a “lifeline” road.
Ian Perry named as head of Edinburgh City Council planning body
A FORMER deputy leader of Edinburgh City Council is to take charge of the body ruling on planning applications in the capital, it emerged last night.
5 commentsSpooks and special forces needs mean reliance on England – for time being
A CRACK team of special operations troops will have to be recruited to protect Scotland’s oil rigs from terrorist attack, a former SAS deputy commander said yesterday.
4 commentsIllegal immigrants flights cost £134m
FLYING out illegal immigrants has cost taxpayers nearly £134 million in the past five years, the Home Office has said.
1 commentUK expands trade drive into India
TWO more UK outposts will open in India as the government tries to boost British trade, William Hague has said.
Airport staff levels anger MP Keith Vaz
STAFFING levels at Stansted airport have been criticised by an MP who saw passengers queueing from the passport desks to the plane.
Alex Salmond accused of hiding behind Leveson
ALEX Salmond faced fresh calls yesterday to answer questions at Holyrood about his relationship with Rupert Murdoch’s News International.
PM is ‘not fussed’ by the date for referendum
DAVID Cameron said last night he is not “fussed” about the date of Scotland’s independence referendum.
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The high-flyer, the horse trainer, the PA and the chauffeur – a who’s who of the accused
REBEKAH Brooks, who has been described as the “ultimate networker”, experienced a meteoric rise to the top of Rupert Murdoch’s media giant.
Britons living in an ‘imperial past’
THE government should take urgent action to end the “deeply confusing shambles” of the UK using a mixture of metric and imperial measurements, former foreign secretary Lord Howe of Aberavon has warned.
3 commentsAdonis back in Miliband reshuffle
Ed MILIBAND made changes to his top team yesterday by bringing in Owen Smith to replace Peter Hain as shadow Welsh secretary.
Labour holds on to lead in the polls
LABOUR’S double-digit poll lead continued as the latest survey put it 10 points ahead of the Tories amid plummeting popularity ratings for the coalition’s leaders.
Fault in reactor triggered shutdown
A COMPONENT fault caused the shutdown of one of the two nuclear reactors at Torness power station in East Lothian, its operator has revealed.
Analysis: ‘Merllande’ will be a trickier marriage of convenience
Merkozy, that is Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, were poles apart in substance and style but found a common ground in the fight for the survival of the euro and the European project itself. It is not thought that the relationship with Mr Hollande will be so easy to forge.
1 commentAdditional support for schoolchildren in need is ‘patchy’
MORE than a quarter of children in some parts of Scotland require additional support during their schooling, according to a new report.
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Francois Hollande spends inaugural night as president with Angela Merkel Picture gallery
FRANCE’S newly installed president Franc ois Hollande insisted that he and German chancellor Angela Merkel would “co-operate very closely” to deal with Europe’s debt crisis, following talks between the two leaders in Berlin last night.
5 commentsNo recession in first quarter for eurozone
Official figures yesterday showed that – unlike Britain – the eurozone and the EU as a whole avoided recession in the first three months of this year.
Britain’s economy at risk, George Osborne warns
The threat of Greece crashing out of the euro is damaging economies across Europe, including Britain’s, Chancellor George Osborne warned yesterday.
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Analysis: Britain in eye of storm as Greeks prepare to reject austerity
IT is increasingly likely that Greece will exit the eurozone in the coming weeks, if not days. The election results demonstrated that the Greek public is unwilling to endorse EU-imposed austerity policies in exchange for the on-going financial support needed to fund public spending.
New broadside in battle for Arctic convoy medals
THE surviving veterans of the Second World War’s most dangerous sea campaign should receive a dedicated medal to recognise their bravery, a Scottish Government minister has said.
5 commentsMoving into houses bad for health of travellers
Living in a house can have a detrimental impact on the health and well-being of gypsy travellers, MSPs have been told.
Allan Massie: Tart response to those who can’t bear Rupert Murdoch
MURDOCH is just the latest in a long line of press barons, and his influence is far more benign than many of his forerunners, writes Allan Massie
2 commentsRev Dr George Grubb: Non-partisan Assembly can promote peace
LATER this week the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland meets, and the great and the good will debate all sorts of matters. However, hanging over it will be a matter due to be debated at next year’s assembly, the ordination of gay clergy. It is the elephant in the room.
Ruth Wishart: Beware of the sales pitch for independence
REVOLUTIONARIES plot in the strangest places. Try a small hall in Ullapool located under the clubhouse accommodation of the Ceilidh Place. It’s 7 o’clock last Saturday night, a time when all self-respecting citizens should be assembling the glad rags for some serious downtime, or gearing up for the latest magical offering from the Ullapool Book Festival in the Village Hall. Or both.
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Francois Hollande breaks protocol to kiss crowd as he is sworn in as president Picture gallery
FRANCOIS Hollande was sworn in as France’s president in a ceremony that saw the country’s first Socialist leader in 17 years arrive in an environmentally friendly Citroen during a rain-soaked ride to the presidential palace.
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Police say cab driver can use buslane but council wants £1600
A MINIBUS driver who transports severely disabled children to school has been hit with 27 fines for driving through bus lanes despite being assured by police that his vehicle was eligible.
52 commentsBusiness booming with new start-ups
THE number of new businesses being set up in Edinburgh has reached the highest level for more than four years, figures have revealed.
Child benefit cutbacks undermine entire tax system, warn accountants
GOVERNMENT plans to take away child benefit from families where one earner has a salary of £50,000 or more could be illegal and undermine confidence in the tax system, a respected accountancy body has warned.
Minimum alcohol pricing: Debate rages over benefit and cost of limit
UP TO 500 lives would be saved every year in Scotland with the introduction of a 50p minimum price per unit on alcohol, health experts say.
76 commentsAnalysis: A smart idea that will consolidate security around the globe
MANY years ago, I took my children to visit the sites of the D-Day landings in Normandy. I wanted them to understand the sacrifices that others had made so that Europe and the US could enjoy the benefits of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Scottish council elections: Tories back Fife Labour minority
Labour councillors have formed a minority administration on Fife Council after securing the support of Conservative and independent councillors.
Ministers told to be accountable to MPs
PARLIAMENT should be “pre-eminent” in receiving documents and evidence about the behaviour of ministers, Speaker John Bercow told the Commons.
‘Sin tax’ will hit moderate drinkers hardest
THE policy of minimum pricing will penalise the poor and I don’t see it reducing alcohol consumption among alcoholics and problem drinkers.
6 commentsAnalysis: Health effects might win Labour over
THE only clear reason that Labour would appear to be opposed to minimum pricing is because it could be viewed as a policy that would cost the working class more money.
4 commentsNo final decision on local pay says Clegg
UNIONS have stepped up demands for the government to scrap controversial plans for regional pay in the public sector after the Deputy Prime Minister said no final decisions had been taken.
Britons fear for lost generation of young
A MAJORITY of Britons fear a “lost generation” of young people will miss out on jobs due to the economic downturn, according to a poll of 2,000 adults by Britain Thinks.
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Weather for Edinburgh
Wednesday 16 May 2012
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 6 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 5 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: East
