The Herald

Bus Firm's Director Pocketed 31% Rise in Pay Package

BUS drivers locked in a bitter wage dispute reacted angrily last night after it was revealed their company's highest-paid director received a 31.1per cent increase in his remuneration package last year. Lothian Buses' 1400 workers have been involved in a series of strikes in and around Edinburgh over a 6per cent pay increase they are seeking which would take their basic pay closer to a [pounds]21,000 target.

Oil Price Soars After Saudi King Dies

Police Hunt Footballer's Brother Over Racist Murder

THE brother of a high-profile English footballer was being sought by police last night in connection with the racist murder of a black teenager. Police want to question Michael Barton, 18, brother of Joey, the Manchester City midfielder, following the death of Anthony Walker, also 18.

Fertility Question Over Caesareans

WOMEN who have their first baby by Caesarean section are significantly less likely to have another pregnancy than those who give birth naturally, a Scottish study has found. The research, carried out amid a rapid rise in the number of Caesareans performed in the UK, prompted a warning that such surgery could damage fertility.

Train Bomb Suspect Created False Identity to Enter Britain

ONE of the July 21 London bombing suspects was charged with terrorist offences yesterday as Italian police revealed he entered Britain illegally. Osman Hussain, an Ethiopian-born Briton, falsified his name and nationality when applying for asylum in Britain, said Carlo de Stefano, head of Rome's anti-terrorism force.

Chisholm Aims to Build Bridges with the Muslim Community Minister Plans Talks with Leaders After London Blasts

MALCOLM Chisholm, the Scottish Executive's communities minister, is to meet Scotland's Muslim leaders on Thursday as part of the government move to improve community relations in the wake of the London terrorist attacks. Hazel Blears, the Home Office minister, is currently embarking on a tour of eight UK towns and cities to talk to, among others, Muslim leaders to see what can be done to enhance relations within and outwith Muslim communities.

Number of Soldiers in Northern Ireland to Be Reduced

THE number of British troops in Northern Ireland is to be scaled down in a two-year plan to change the way the province is policed. The announcement by Peter Hain, Northern Ireland secretary, yesterday followed the IRA's promise to end its armed campaign and complete its disarmament programme.

Struggling Loch Lomond Tourist Attraction to Be Reborn As a Sea- Life Visitor Centre

AMULTI-million pound tourist attraction on the shores of Loch Lomond looks set to be transformed into a sea-life centre. Drumkinnon Tower was heralded as a centrepiece attraction of the Loch Lomond Shores development at Balloch when it was launched three years ago.

Sir Mick and the Drugs Bust: Secret Papers Reveal Extortion Plot Inquiry Jagger Mixed with 'Dregs of Society' Say Records

HE is now a knight of the realm but was once viewed by the establishment as part of the "dregs of society" caught up in an underworld of illicit and dangerous drugs. Files released yesterday to the National Archives show that an internal inquiry by Scotland Yard completely dismissed allegations by Sir Mick Jagger that detectives had planted drugs on him.

Merger Creates New College

Business As Usual for the World's Biggest Oil Producer Saudi Quick to Reassure After King's Death

HE kept his once impoverished state on the path of immense prosperity and, at the same time, steered it closer to the West. Yet, when the end came, King Fahd was ruler of Saudi Arabia only by name. Since Crown Prince Abdullah, his half-brother and successor, has effectively been running the country for the past 10 years, there is expected to be little change now he has gone.

A Popular, Pragmatic Ruler Who Keeps Close Ties with Us

KING Abdullah is a popular leader who has been Saudi Arabia's effective ruler for 10 years and is the main force behind an unprecedented reform drive. Unlike Fahd, however, Abdullah, 81, has never seen the fate of his kingdom intertwined with the decadesold alliance with the US. Yet once he became the kingdom's de facto leader after Fahd's stroke in 1995, he was pragmatic enough to preserve close ties with the US.

[Pounds]8m for Universities to Improve Research

EIGHT Scottish universities have been awarded a total of [pounds]8m to improve academic research, it was announced today. The cash will help strengthen work in important areas which currently receive little or no funding, according to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) .

Firm Behind Waning Atkins Diet Files for Bankruptcy

ITwas the dieting revolution that made headlines around the world. Minnie Driver, Geri Halliwell, Liz Hurley and Jennifer Aniston all sang the praises of the Atkins diet but the US firm that fuelled a global phenomenon has been shedding pounds of the wrong sort.

Man Dies After Fire in Flat at Tower Block

AMAN died after fire broke out on the fifth f loor of a tower block f lat. The 35-year-old's body was found when firefighters tackled the blaze in the 22-storey block in Kennishead Avenue, Glasgow. Police were last night trying to trace his relatives before naming him, but he was understood to have a partner and three children.

Scotland's Favourite Painting

The Herald has begun a search to discover Scotland's favourite painting. Over the next month, readers are being invited to cast their vote by post, e-mail or text message for a work held in a public collection in Scotland. Each day we will feature one of the possible candidates and take a closer look at what makes it special. Today's picture is one you may recognise, but not know its artist or where it hangs. James Guthrie To Pastures New, 1883 Aberdeen Art Gallery It might be hard to see thi...

New Eu Rules Will Restrict Vitamin Sales

NEW European rules restricting the sale of certain vitamin and minerals supplements came into force yesterday. Under the EU Food Supplements Directive, supplements will be able to include only vitamins and minerals taken from an approved list. Minerals not currently on the list include tin, silicon, nickel, boron, cobalt and vanadium.

Crofters Warn Land Reforms Will End Way of Life Within a Generation

CROFTERS have warned that plans for radical reform could destroy their way of life within a generation. Ministers insist that new legislation is designed to modernise the system and allow crofters greater opportunity to use their land and not be tied to agriculture.

Ex-Rail Regulator Tells of Threat by Ministers

CLAIMS that the government engineered the demise of Railtrack intensified yesterday when the former independent rail regulator claimed ministers threatened to strip him of his powers to stop him offering the now defunct rail company a lifeline. Tom Winsor said that although it would have taken a year for the government to have passed the necessary laws to "neutralise" his powers, senior Railtrack officials nonetheless believed the threat, which he said was "a disastrous error" on its part.

No 10 Denies Blair Will Quit As Mp

DOWNING Street yesterday dismissed reports that Tony Blair has decided to leave the House of Commons at the next general election. The prime minister has already confirmed he plans to stand down as premier at the end of his third term and will not fight the next election - expected in 2009 or 2010 - as Labour leader.