The Herald

Loyalist Gun-Runner Murdered in Glasgow Vicious Knife Attack As Victim Sat in Car

A LOYALIST gun-runner freed under the Good Friday Agreement has been murdered in what police have described as a "vicious" knife attack. Lindsay Robb was stabbed repeatedly by a man as he sat in his car in the east end of Glasgow on Hogmanay.

Cool Runnings

Fears of Gas Price Rises As Russia Axes Supply to Ukraine

HOUSEHOLDERS could face further rises in their energy bills because of the gas supply dispute involving Russia and Ukraine, a consumerwatchdog warned yesterday. Allan Asher, chief executive of Energywatch, said that energy firms could exploit fears over the row to increase prices further.

Cardinal Criticises Gay Laws

The most senior Roman Catholic in Scotland has used his new year message to attack new laws on "gay weddings" and divorce. Cardinal Keith O'Brien condemned Westminster and Holyrood for failing to uphold traditional family values.

'Liquidate' Scotland, Urges Top Historian

A leading Scottish historian has launched a bitter attack on his homeland, declaring: "The country hitherto known as Scotland should go into liquidation." Professor Niall Ferguson, right, best known for presenting his Channel 4 television series on the British Empire, attacked Scotland's political and sporting institutions and cultural achievements. The academic, who was born and educated in Glasgow, said Scots should forget any hopes of independence and simply become part of England.

Peploe Paintings Destroyed

Valuable works of art by some of Scotland's best-loved artists have been destroyed in a house fire when a Christmas tree caught fire early on New Year's Day. The works, including paintings by Samuel Peploe and William MacTaggart were lost when the blaze broke out in the drawing room of a home in Edinburgh's New Town. The owner is Magnus Linklater, a former editor of the Scotsman newspaper and former chairman of the Scottish Arts Council. He was taken to hospital and treated for smoke inhalati...

Lapdancing Curbs Planned

Private dances at lapdancing clubs could be banned under plans being drawn up for Scottish ministers. An expert group commissioned by the Scottish Executive has discovered that customers are regularly travelling from England to take advantage of the more lax regime north of the border.

'Man Who Lived On the Edge' Freed Under Good Friday Deal Dark History Means Robb Had No Shortage of Enemies

LOYALIST gun-runner Lindsay Robb was a man who lived on the edge. Whether he was stringing along two fiancees simultaneously, fingering a suspected IRA gunner, or blowing the lid on a plot between the security forces and the UVF, he was never likely to be short of enemies.

Valuable Scottish Paintings Destroyed in Blaze

PAINTINGS by several well known Scottish artists have been destroyed in a fire at a Hogmanay party after a Christmas tree caught fire. Works by Scottish colourists, including Samuel Peploe and William MacTaggart, were among items lost in the blaze in a townhouse in Edinburgh's New Town.

'Targeted for His Money Rather Than Uvf Connections'

ON the streets of Ruchazie, in Glasgow's east end, Lindsay Robb was well-known as a man with money in his pocket. A self-employed builder, he could be relied on to give cash-in- hand work to unemployed men in the area keen to supplement their official income.

Why the Scottish Nation Should Be Wound Up Right-Wing Academic's Attack

ONE of the world's bestknown academics has poured scorn on Scotland in a vitriolic attack on the country of his birth and its institutions. Professor Niall Ferguson used the Hogmanay celebrations as a launch pad for the withering assault which maintains the country should be regarded as a "sparsely populated appendage to England".

New Babies, New Records and a New Year

THOUSANDS of revellers saw in the new year at Hogmanay events across Scotland, with police saying there was little trouble. There was a good-natured atmosphere as more than 100,000 thronged Edinburgh city centre, with fewer than 10 arrests for minor disorder.

Cardinal's Attack On Marriage Law Reforms Provokes Anger From Gay Rights Groups

THE most senior Roman Catholic in Scotland yesterday launched a scathing attack on easier divorce and "gay weddings". Cardinal Keith O'Brien used his New Year's Day address to condemn Westminster and Holyrood for failing to uphold traditional family values.

Turner Paintings Go On Annual Show

Crews Fight Blaze at Industrial Estate

Power Cut Brings Dark Start to Year

Krankies Star to Sue Theatre

Lapdance Clubs Face Much Stricter Licensing Lax Regulation Condemned

LAPDANCING clubs are to face a tough new licensing regime after a group set up by ministers discovered sex tourists are regularly travelling from England because rules north of the border are lax. The experts are also expected to back an end to "private" dances in booths after deciding they may be a prelude to prostitution.

Catalogue of Safety Failures Found Over Ba Planes

SAFETY on British Airways flights has been called into question after air accident investigators found "systemic" problems with the fleet's jets. Following inquiries into four mid-air failures, the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), the aviation watchdog, warns that safety problems may be "widespread within the organisation" and substandard working practices are commonplace among maintenance staff.

Scottish Kirk Offers Hope for Sri Lanka's 'Doomed'women

REJECTED by their families and society, women branded mentally ill in Sri Lanka are often left to languish in mental hospitals for decades with little hope of being allowed to leave. But now, some of those women doomed to a future in an institution are being given a new start in life thanks to the generosity of a Scots church.