The Herald

Dawn Raid Policy Is 'Terrorising Refugees'

THE commissioner for children has issued a fierce attack on the Home Office for "terrorising" families of asylum seekers by detaining them in pre-dawn raids. Kathleen Marshall said it was "completely outrageous and unacceptable" that children living in Scotland should be woken by uniformed officers and driven hundreds of miles to be detained in England.

Rangers Head for Their Financial Goals with Net Debt Cut by Gbp51m

RANGERS FC have cut their debts by two-thirds, GBP51m, and declared a GBP12.4m pretax profit for 2004/05. The figures followed the recent GBP57m rights issue, which was largely underwritten by David Murray, the chairman.

Gbp25,000 a Week for Business Lawyer

Rory Police Took Two Days to Follow Up Alert On Suspect

SIMON Harris, the prime suspect in the Rory Blackhall murderwho was found hanged on Sunday, was reported to police two days before his home was raided. This emerged yesterday as pressure mounted on police to explain a series of apparent failures that allowed Harris to slip through the net.

Rifkind to Oppose Clarke for Leader Euro Jibe at Campaign Launch

SIR Malcolm Rifkind flexed his muscles in the Tory leadership race yesterday only hours after Kenneth Clarke declared he was the best man to lead the party out of the political wilderness. The former cabinet colleagues will be trying to attract support from the same wing of the Tories, but SirMalcolm, the shadow works and pensions secretary, believes his Eurosceptic views will let him steal a march on Mr Clarke.

Is Autumn Now Starting Earlier? Huge Survey Launched to Record First Signals That the Season has Arrived

THE brambles are ripening across the central belt and the last swift of summer has departed for warmer climes. Autumn is advancing upon the country and experts are trying to find out if the season appears to be starting earlier.

Duke's Daughter Shocks Friends As She Leaves Her Husband

THE daughter of a Scottish duke has shocked family and friends by leaving herAmerican husband, apparently without warning, and returning to Scotland. Lady Anne Douglas-Hamilton, whose family history can be traced back to Mary Queen of Scots, announced her sudden departure from Missouri, where she lived with John McClure, the son of a wellknown banker. Her husband of seven years is said to be devastated by the separation, which he claimed he had not anticipated.

Playing Fields Are On the Increase Number of Pitches for Children Rises for First Time in a Decade

THE number of local authority playing fields in Scotland has increased for the first time in a decade. New figures show that since last year the number of pitches in schools and council-owned facilities has risen by four, the first time there has been an increase since 1996.

Bus Drivers Plan Strikes Over Pay

Extra Trains for Festival Fireworks

Vintage Motor Museum Closes

Why Olive Oil Is Nature's Answer to Ibuprofen Scientists Discover Painkilling Ingredient

HIGH-QUALITY olive oil contains a natural chemical which acts like the popular anti-inflammatory painkiller ibuprofen, scientists revealed yesterday. They believe it could help explain the well-known health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.

Domino Effect

SPOT ON: Claire Grogan topples giant dominoes to highlight the "knock-on" effect of charitable support for starving children in the Third World. The actress and singer with Altered Images - who rose to fame in the Bill Forsyth film Gregory's Girl - launched in Glasgow a month- long campaign by World Vision which aims to recruit 3000 Scots to sponsor children in the developing world.

Scottish Break-Ups Push Up Uk Divorce Rate Again

BROKEN marriages among Scots contributed to another increase in the number of divorces across the UK, government figures have shown. The number of UK divorces in 2004 increased by 0.2% to 167,116 from 166,737 in 2003.

Dish On Course to Be Best Pasta in Britain

IN a modest little bistro, tucked away in the west end of Glasgow, something is stirring. It is not the sauce. Perish the thought that Iwan Sasaki should smother his perfectly prepared pasta in anything other than love and affection.

Failed Store Chain's Break-In

Home furnishings chain Texstyle World had a break-in at its East Kilbride warehouse just days before the business announced it was closing eight stores in Scotland, it emerged yesterday. A police spokesman confirmed the premises at North Kelvin industrial estate were entered illegally over the weekend of August 20, but could give no further details.

Co-Op Rebrands Its Businesses

The Co-op is launching a pilot campaign to rebrand its businesses under the co-operative title. The group said it was bringing together its different businesses under a common brand for the first time in its history.

Seabird Breeding Failures Spread to the West

AN unprecedented breeding failure among some of Scotland's seabird populations on the east coast and Northern Isles has spread to the west, according to leading conservation organisations. A shortage of sandeels was blamed for last year's disastrous breeding season when thousands of seabirds failed to raise any young at all. Ornithologists blamed a shortage of food on the shrinking colonies of puffins, gannets, and skuas.

'I've Been Told to Be Wary of Snakes' Blogs

MANY of the first-hand accounts of the destruction wreaked by Hurricane Katrina have come from ordinary people writing weblogs, proving once again how technology has created a new generation of "citizen journalists". Even the major news organisations in the US turned to the internet message boards and the blogs of individuals caught up in the path of the hurricane to provide up-to-date bulletins.

Scots Show a Bigger Appetite for Home Rule More Power Wanted for Holyrood, Poll Shows

SCOTS want more powers for the Holyrood parliament by a margin of more than two-toone, according to a Mori poll. The findings - that 58% want increased powers and 24% do not - suggest that, even in the face of disappointment at devolution, there remains an appetite formore of it.