The Herald

It's All Oar-Ver . . . Bar the Shouting

ACER TRUMPED: Rowers are regularly asked what coxes do. In yesterday's 150th Boat Race, Oxford's Acer Nethercott gave a very public display of how coxes lose races, writes Mike Haggerty. One of the many Boat Race rituals is to see the crews jostling for supremacy in the early part of the race for the superior racing line of the Thames. Yesterday, Nethercott clearly over-stepped that imaginary line and, in one over-aggressive act, lost the race for his crew.

How to Get Little People Into the Big Read

Encouraging children to read can be hard, but Paul Jennings knows what's required. By Anne Johnstone At a book signing once, a woman asked children's author Paul Jennings to write something that would persuade her grandson to read the book he was signing. As she left the shop she read his comment and looked most displeased. He had written: "Dear John, When you have finished reading this book, Grandma will give you $50." Of course, you can't bribe children to read, which is precisely why Jenni...

Why We Deal Better with Blackbirds Than Macaws

Want to make a drama out of a crisis? Send for Ricky Demarco. Episode 349 of the turbulent tales of this mobile volcano was played out in the Sunday press where the 73-year-old arts impresario confirmed Edinburgh City Council planned legal action to recover unpaid rent. As with all matters concerning Ricky, the saga is not simple. The debt in question relates to an office in New Parliament House in Edinburgh in which is currently squashed the bulk of an archive amassed since the 1960s. Like t...

Prosecutor Seeks Sharon Bribes Charge

ISRAEL's state attorney yesterday recommended that Ariel Sharon, the prime minister, be charged with taking bribes. Police have investigated him on suspicion that he accepted about (pounds) 350,000 in bribes from David Appel, an Israeli businessman, to help promote a tourism project in Greece and the rezoning of urban land in Tel Aviv.

Air Fares to the Islands Fall by 30% As Subsidies Increase

FLIGHTS between Glasgow and Tiree, Barra, and Campbeltown will soon be up to 30% cheaper, heralding a new dawn for air travel in the Highlands and Islands. More routes enjoying lower fares in the region could follow.

British Security Guard and Colleague Die in Iraq Ambush

FOREIGN Office officials were last night trying to contact the family of a British security guard who was killed in an ambush in Iraq yesterday. The Briton and his Canadian colleague were shot dead by gunmen in a passing car as they were driving to work at a power station in Mosul, in north-west Iraq. They were believed to have been employed to protect foreign engineers working for the US General Electric Company to repair the power station in the east of the city, which has suffered the effe...

Muslim Voters Desert Labour for Snp; Survey Reveals Anger with War

MUSLIMS are deserting Labour in droves and are now twice as likely to vote for the SNP as other Scots, new research reveals today. A study by Glasgow University shows that, between 2001 and 2003, Muslims in Scotland switched away from their traditional support for Labour. Many said their political preferences changed because of the party's stances on foreign policy and the war in Iraq.

Minister Insists Scots at Risk From Terror; Jamieson Urges Public to Remain Alert

SCOTLAND is not safe from terrorist attack, Cathy Jamieson insisted yesterday, despite government efforts to reassure the public. The justice minister spoke out as David Blunkett, home secretary, played down suggestions that Britain was certain to be targeted by al Qaeda.

Special Yoga Helps Paltrow Prepare for Motherhood

Not a woman to do things by half, having an macrobiotic diet and strict fitness routine, Gwyneth Paltrow is now preparing for the birth of her first child with an ancient art and Scottish link in its teaching. The baby is due in a few months, but the usual ante-natal classes are out of the question for the actress. Instead she is said to be turning to special yoga classes.

Murder Squad Says Search of Flat May Take Weeks

THE forensic examination of a a flat, which has become the focus of the investigation into the murder of teenager Kriss Donald, could take weeks to complete, police said yesterday. The search in Herriet Street, in Pollokshields, Glasgow, just a few yards from Kriss's home address in McCulloch Street, began on Friday.

Refurbished Trades Hall Opens Its Doors to the Public for First Time

FROM behind closed doors, it has helped to shape Glasgow's future for more than 200 years. Captains of industry and 14 ancient incorporated crafts and trades, which were established two centuries earlier, were among groups who used it regularly to take decisions which helped establish the city on the world's industrial map.

Act Over Smoking or Suffer the Legislation, Scots Told

IRISH publicans today warn Scottish pubs to clamp down on smoking, or risk being forced to ban cigarettes by law. As new legislation banishing tobacco from most work places comes into force in the Irish Republic today, the Vintners Federation of Ireland has told Scottish licensees to learn from their experience.

L-Drivers Will Be Allowed On Motorways If Transport Changes Go Through

LEARNER drivers would be allowed on motorways for the first time under government proposals revealed yesterday. Experts at the Department for Transport have issued a consultation paper which suggests that L-drivers would benefit from high-speed traffic experience, as long as they are accompanied by an instructor.

Drop Gay Marriage Plans, Says Catholic Leadership

THE Catholic Church in Scotland has urged local authorities to abandon plans for "gay marriage" ceremonies. The civil partnerships bill, to be published on Wednesday, will give all couples who sign up to a committed relationship the same rights, regardless of sexual orientation.

Man Held in Police Custody Dies

Murder Hunt After City-Centre Assault

Owls Stolen From Wildlife Centre

Safety Inspectors to Strike for a Day

Drink-Attack Victims Should Be Able to Sue Pubs, Say Police; Licensing Expert Wants Trade to Become More Responsible

VICTIMS of violent drunks should be allowed to sue pub owners for instigating alcohol-fuelled attacks, police and industry figures said yesterday. One of the country's leading licensing specialists has called for "server (or third-party) liability" to be introduced to produce more responsible behaviour on the part of the country's pubs and clubs.

Cherie Blair's Jail Concern

TOO many women are being sent to prison, according to Cherie Blair. Many were suffering from mental health problems and drug addiction or had been victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence, the prime minister's wife suggested in The Observer. The female prison population has risen by 173% over the past 10 years, with many more going to jail under Tony Blair's administration.