By Shaun Milne SCOTLAND’S flagship passenger ferry service to Europe is to be scrapped. The three weekly sailings of the Scottish Viking, which was launched in a blaze of publicity in May last year by First Minister Alex Salmond, will cease operations in time for Christmas. Passengers who have already booked trips for after then [...]
By Michael MacLeod SCOTLAND’S literary giants have led the tributes to the nation’s Poet Laureate Edwin Morgan, who passed away this morning aged 90. The Glasgow-born writer was widely regarded worldwide as one of the most progressive poets of modern times, described in tributes today as “a gentle genius.” Although he was ill for some [...]
By Martin Graham, Christine Lavelle and Michael MacLeod ECO protestors stormed the grounds surrounding the Royal Bank of Scotland HQ in Edinburgh today. They also launched other climate change protests in the city centre as police made a small number of arrests. Around 150 activists – going under the name Climate Group – pitched 30 [...]
By Michael MacLeod FOUR teenagers appeared in court today following the death of a delivery driver in Edinburgh. Simon San, 40, died in hospital after suffering severe head injuries outside his family’s Chinese takeaway on Wednesday night. A 16 year-old boy and a 15 year old boy were charged with culpable homicide at Edinburgh Sheriff [...]
By Michael MacLeod A SUCCESSFUL hunt in the search for the body of missing Edinburgh officer worker Suzanne Pilley would feel “like winning the lottery” for her father. Robert Pilley, 67, gave an emotional interview tonight ahead of a large-scale search in the Argyll Forest this weekend. Police and volunteer mountain rescue experts will scour [...]
By Cara Sulieman A TEENAGER caught with more than 1,000 sick images of underage girls on a laptop denied having the porn – before finally admitting to police he had downloaded them for the “thrill”. Jonathan Wright, 18, whose family home is in Aberdeen, told officers that he had downloaded the sick pictures to “see [...]
By Michael MacLeod TWO boys as young as nine years-old pushed a disabled pensioner in an electric wheelchair onto a busy road before running off. Andrew Harding, 72, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was alone when the boys approached him from behind and switched off his wheelchair. They then shoved him off the kerb and [...]
By Amanda Keenan and Christine Lavelle A MAJOR murder hunt is underway to catch a gang responsible for beating a Chinese delivery driver to death. Dozens of police officers, forensic teams and hardened detectives flooded the Lochend area of Edinburgh to track down those responsible for the bloody attack on Simon San, 40, around 10pm [...]
By Cara Sulieman SEEN AS a comforting companion for children across the country, it seems adults are also getting a good night’s sleep with the help of their teddy bear. Over 75,000 of the cuddly chaps have been mistakenly left behind at hotels in the last year, with businessmen and woman calling the hotel in [...]
By Martin Graham HEARTBROKEN Pasquale Riggi broke his silence today on the “painful” events of the past week which led to the deaths of his three children and the arrest of his estranged wife Theresa. Eight year old twins Augustino and Gianluca, and their five-year-old sister Cecilia were found dead at a flat in Edinburgh’s [...]
By Cara Sulieman SCOTTISH hunk Gerard Butler is set to star in a new film about his favourite sport. The footie-mad heartthrob has already been linked to the movie as a producer, but is now gearing up to star as the lead in ‘Slide’. Initially based around baseball, the film focuses on a dad who [...]
By Christine Lavelle A REVIVAL of the ukulele was celebrated in Edinburgh today by miniature guitar lovers from across the world. The traditional Hawaiian instrument has rocketed back to the top of the charts thanks to pop’s hottest new artists including Mumford and Sons, Laura Marling, and Noah and the Whale. Its resurgence is reflected [...]
By Martin Graham LITERATURE may be the new rock and roll, but organisers are hoping that a new initiative to create a touring network for writers will not lead to a spate of trashed hotel rooms and televisions being thrown through windows. Authors who want to take their book launch events out on the road [...]
By Martin Graham DETECTIVES are hunting a ginger-haired knifeman after a man was stabbed to death in broad daylight. Police issued a description of the man wanted in connection with the murder of Martin Hughes in Edinburgh on Monday afternoon. Mr Hughes, 33, was stabbed at 3pm at his home at 37 Wester Hailes Park [...]
By Martin Graham FAMOUS for his woolly bobble hats, fairisle jumpers and plus-four walking trousers, Tom Weir is fondly remembered by generations of Scots. The broadcaster, climber, writer and environmentalist became a household name through his long running series ‘Weir’s Way’ which explored the geography, history and people of Scotland through his affable personality and [...]
By Christine Lavelle A MAN who stalked his ex-girlfriend by hiding under her bed has been jailed for 40 months. Two days after being dumped Christopher Fowler was found under ex-partner Catherine Southcott’s bed having forcing his way into her home. The 27 year-old was released on bail but continued to bombard her with 108 [...]
By Martin Graham TWO parties of chimps at Edinburgh Zoo have merged in a bid to discover who is the top banana in a new enclosure. Edinburgh’s zookeepers have created a primate coalition after studying the chimpanzees’ complex political hierarchies for six months. And with genes which are 98 per-cent the same as humans, the [...]
By Martin Graham POLICE have launched a murder investigation after a man was stabbed to death in Edinburgh. The 34 year-old-man, named locally as Martin Hughes, was found at around 3pm on Monday by paramedics outside his home in Wester Hailes Park. Today neighbours paid tribute to Mr Hughes as an animal lover who owned [...]
By Oliver Farrimond SCOTLAND’S newest fire chief claims a merger of the country’s fire and rescue services is “inevitable”. Jimmy Campbell, who took up his post as chief fire officer at Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service last month, believes the move is a foregone conclusion in the face of savage cuts to public [...]
By Cara Sulieman SCOTLAND’S children know more about celebrities like Cheryl Cole than they do national heroes according to new research. A poll of 1,000 primary school kids showed that 91 per-cent of them recognised the X Factor judge, but just 28 per-cent were able to name William Wallace. The group behind the study are [...]