Scotland on Wednesday

Published on Wednesday 1 October 2008 12:21

WELCOME to today's tasty news morsels, including SPORT, FASHION, TELEVISION, BUSINESS and the INTERNET

RED TOP REVIEW

By Kenny Farquharson

Paterson gambles away 1m

One million pounds. Count 'em. That's the amount of cash former SPL football manager Steve Paterson has lost at the bookies, according to an exclusive in today's Daily Record. The ex-Aberdeen and Inverness manager has checked into a rehab clinic in a bid to beat his gambling addiction. He told the paper it had cost him his marriage, his career and every penny he ever earned, including a 100,000 payoff from the Dons. "Like all punters, I thought the big win was just around the corner," he told the paper.

Robbie's loving aliens instead

First it was Angels and now it's aliens. UFO-obsessed Robbie Williams has written new songs about extraterrestrial beings, reports the Sun's Bizarre column. The millionaire pop star, who claims to have had several alien encounters, is said to have written the songs during a recent stay at a UFO-spotters' camp at Trout Lake in Washington. Extraterrestrial expert Michael C Luckman believes Robbie is working on an aliens-inspired album which, according to the paper, "could be used to help summon little green men to Earth". Maybe the aliens will do us all a favour and beam him up.

Deerly beloved

Get ready to say awww! A tiny Muntjac fawn called Rupert has been delivered by Caesarean section after his mother was killed by a car. He was just six inches tall and weighed 500 grams, reports the Daily Mail. Staff at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire believe Rupert will make a full recovery after his dramatic arrival.

BUSINESS

By Rosemary Gallagher

Bailout hopes boost shares

Optimism that the US House of Representatives will approve a revised version of a financial rescue package to tackle the growing global banking crisis is helping to boost world markets today.

Politicians in the US are due to vote on the new plan later today, with commentators hoping the changes to the rescue package will be enough to get the bill passed.

The revised package would raise the limit for individual deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in the US to $250,000 from $100,000 to boost consumer confidence in banks.

The new package follows a $700bn plan assembled by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson which was thrown out by the House of Representatives on Monday.

In the UK, stocks have also been lifted by news that the Bank of England is to pump a further 17bn into the money markets. And Prime Minister Gordon Brown has issued a statement saying he is confident the takeover of HBOS by Lloyds TSB will go ahead, despite the fall in HBOS shares of almost 14% yesterday.

TELEVISION

By Fiona Leith

Heroic effort

Is Nathan dead or alive? Are the goodies the baddies, or the baddies the goodies? What happens now that the cheerleader has been saved? Is Hiro still travelling through a space-time continuum? Fear not, as BBC2 throws itself into Heroes obsession with abandon so that you're brought bang up to speed ahead of the first episode of the third series.

Heroes Countdown, BBC2, 7.05pm; Heroes Unmasked, BBC2, 7.45pm; Heroes, BBC2, 9pm

Britain's bravest

Celebrities including David Beckham, Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney and Simon Cowell join Carol Vorderman in handing out the recognition to Britons who have inspired with their bravery, including 24-year-old Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher, who threw himself on a grenade to save his colleagues.

The Pride of Britain Awards, ITV, 8pm

Prisoners under pressure

A year spent at Scotland's only female prison, Cornton Vale in Stirling, is put on film as the staff and inmates deal with the notorious suicide rate and the constant pressures of prison life for all involved. Tonight is the first in the series, and focuses on a violent inmate banking on early release.

Girls Behind Bars, BBC1, 10.45pm

SPORT

By Graham Bean

Scotland joins bidders to host Rugby World Cup

A record eight countries are bidding to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup, with Scotland among the nations hoping to stage the tournament, it was announced this morning.

The other seven confirming their intention to tender for the event are: Australia, England, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Africa and Wales.

Australia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Russia, Scotland, South Africa and Wales have also made bids for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Jamaica's unlikely bid was withdrawn.

"This strong response is unprecedented and truly reflects the global attraction of the Rugby World Cup," said Bernard Lapasset, chairman of the International Rugby Board.

Scotland would likely combine with the other home unions or the Celtic nations to co-host the tournament.

For the first time, the IRB will award two tournaments at the same time, giving the successful bidders more planning time. The decision will be announced in July 2009.

The 10 bidding unions now have until May 8, 2009, to submit their detailed tender responses.

New Zealand will host the next Rugby World Cup in 2011.

INTERNET

By Marc Horne

Website of the day

It's October and Halloween is almost upon us. <a href="http://www.indigo.org/halloween/page2.html

">Check out some of the most inspired, and downright bizarre, outfits from last year here. It's what the best-dressed guys and ghouls are wearing.