The Herald

Tenth Swine Flu Death As Number of Fresh Cases Doubles

A WOMAN has become the 10th person with swine flu to die in Scotland as the number of new cases doubled. The 62-year-old from the Forth Valley NHS area had "significant underlying health conditions", health officials said.

Subjects Face Axe in University Funding Shake-Up the Newest Institutions and Widening Access Most at Risk

SCOTLAND'S newest universities are facing damaging budget cuts as a result of plans for a radical shake-up of the way higher education is funded. Under the proposals, the universities of Abertay, Edinburgh Napier, Glasgow Caledonian, Queen Margaret, Stirling, Strathclyde and West of Scotland would all see a reduction in funding for teaching.

Police Home in On Domestic Abuse Exclusive

POLICE have slashed the number of domestic abuse attacks by more than two-thirds after adopting a groundbreaking approach to the problem. By targeting the most prolific and violent perpetrators, teams in Strathclyde Police's Motherwell division have seen a 68per cent reduction in domestic violence from the area's 50 worst offenders.

Revealed: Toll of Old Firm Clashes On Abuse at Home New Analysis Helps Taskforce Crack Down On Persistently Violent Offenders

BANK holiday weekends, Hogmanay and Old Firm matches. To some they represent a reason to celebrate, for others they resonate with the horror of domestic abuse. A graph from Strathclyde Police shows for the first time the scale and consistency of the spikes in domestic abuse around weekends when Celtic and Rangers play each other. It shows that domestic abuse has risen by 30per cent over the course of almost eight years. It is just one part of the ongoing analysis being conducted by the force...

Businesses Lift Arts Awards

Correction

Teenage Vandal Must Pay Gbp1000

Cost of Ferry Subsidies Up 30per Cent

THE cost of subsidising Scotland's ferry network soared by nearly one-third to GBP90m last year due to higher fuel costs and fare reductions on some routes accounts published by David MacBrayne yesterday revealed. The group, whose subsidiaries include Calmac Ferries and Northlink Ferries, saw passenger levels fall by between 2per cent and 7per cent on sailings to the Clyde and Hebridean islands, but the figures were not helped by the busy Easter holidays falling outwith the financial period...

Scotland Failing Drug Addicts, New Inquiry Chief Says

SCOTLAND has a drugs industry which is not offering enough help for addicts who wish to kick their habit, according to the chair of a major inquiry into the topic. Reverend John Matthews, a church of Scotland minister whose parish is in the north of Glasgow, heads a highpowered nvestigation to be launched by the University of Glasgow today .

Why Global Warming Could Make Scotland Magnet for Mass Migration Southern Regions Could Become Too Hot to Live in Southern Regions Could Become Too Hot to Live in Exclusive

SCOTS may be used to moaning about our dreich, drab weather, but the nation's grim climate could soon be a major draw for migrants. The effects of global climate change will send droves of refugees north of the border to escape the heat of the south, a panel of experts has warned.

Highland Railway Crossing Victims Named

THE family of three elderly people killed when a train smashed into their car on a level-crossing spoke last night of their loss, saying "they will be always in our hearts". Angus MacKay and his wife Margaret, both 81, from Inverness, died in the accident in Halkirk, Caithness on Tuesday.

Think-Tank Says Scots Must Look After Themselves to Keep Nhs Healthy

PATIENTS need to take more responsibility for their own health in a bid to help the NHS in Scotland avoid a financial crisis, it was claimed yesterday. Healthcare consultants Tribal said the squeeze on public sector finances would have a significant impact on all boards after more than a decade of increasing expenditure in the health service.

Photo Tribute to Polar Heroes

BRITISH explorer David Hempleman-Adams has launched a photography exhibition to mark the 100th anniversary of Captain Scott's ill- fated journey to the South Pole. The 52-year-old described the display on his boyhood heroes as "really moving".

Macaskill: No Tesco Law for Scotland

LAWYERS may be allowed to set up practice with non-legal firms such as supermarkets as part of a shake-up in legislation published yesterday. The Legal Services Bill proposes to allow firms such as banks and shops to invest in legal practices and even own them.

Fishermen Must Find New Markets

THE fishing industry has been told it must develop new markets to cope with the global recession . The call follows a year of poor seafood catches, struggling cod prices and competition from Norway and Iceland.

Councils Can Borrow Treasury Cash to Meet Equal-Pay Claims

COUNCILS are to be allowed to borrow from the UK Treasury to help meet the costs of back-claims for equal pay, Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney announced yesterday. Mr Swinney told the Scottish Parliament the scheme would be "proportionate" to one in England where about GBP500m has been made available. The move is an attempt to break the impasse over the 35,000 equal-pay cases lodged with tribunals in Scotland.

Afghan Election Whitewash 'Not On' for the Uk Miliband: Proper Troop Equipment Vital Miliband: Proper Troop Equipment Vital Labour in Brighton

WITHDRAWAL from Afghanistan would risk another 9/11 or 7/7, David Miliband warned yesterday as delegates at Labour's conference were assured no more British troops would be sent to the warzone without being properly equipped first. On the final day of Labour's gathering on the Sussex coast, the Foreign Secretary made clear the UK Government would not be risking the lives of British soldiers, if ministers were not convinced the work they were doing was essential to security in Britain.

Just How Galvanised Is Labour After Party's Week in Brighton? Analysis

IT began on a rather unusual note that sparked an undercurrent of grumpiness and anger that permeated the whole week. The BBC's Andrew Marr enraged Labour HQ with his notorious question about whether the nation's leader was dependent on anti- depressant pills to run the country. Quite a question.

Theatre Royal Is Set for Gbp8.5m Upgrade Scottish Opera Buys Land to Help Transform Venue Scottish Opera Buys Land to Help Transform Venue Exclusive

SCOTTISH Opera is planning a major GBP8.5m extension and refurbishment for its home in Glasgow, the Theatre Royal. The national company has bought land to the rear of the A-listed concert hall, and is now searching for architects to compete for the design to transform the landmark venue. Once they are appointed, a major fundraising campaign will begin.

New Ballet Ba's Global Popularity

DANCE students from across the world are lining up for the launch of the new undergraduate programme at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. The BA in modern ballet course, being run in collaboration with Scottish Ballet, has welcomed 14 dancers from Scotland and overseas - including Serbia, Canada, Switzerland and Hawaii.