The Herald

Nimrod Crew Killed by Cuts and Complacency Damning Report Rules Mod Breached Duty of Care to Forces

COST-CUTTING at the Ministry of Defence and a culture that placed business priorities over safety practices led directly to the death of 14 British service personnel who were killed when an RAF Nimrod spy plane crashed in Afghanistan three years ago. An independent review published yesterday by the aviation lawyer Charles Haddon-Cave, QC, found the fireball that consumed the Nimrod MR2 - call sign XV230 - in September 2006 had been entirely avoidable.

Mcconnell Criticised Over His Gbp40,000 Travel Bill

FORMER Labour First Minister Jack McConnell was criticised last night after it emerged that he has cost the taxpayer more than GBP40,000 in overseas trips this year. Mr McConnell racked up trips to Bosnia, Ethiopia, the US, west Africa, Chile, Japan and other countries to carry out his duties as the Prime Minister's special representative for conflict resolution.

Police Accused of Failure to Seize Assets of All Criminals Proceeds of Crime Act Not Used Enough

POLICE and the Crown Office are failing to make full use of powers that allow them to strip the assets of criminals, according to a new report. The legislation is being used only to target top gangsters and not lower level offenders, ultimately detracting from efforts to crackdown on serious organised crime.

Yorkhill Fundraising Hero Among Winners at Herald Society Awards

A FUNDRAISER who has raised thousands of pounds for Yorkhill Hospital over the last three years was named the Unsung Hero of the year at the Herald Society Awards 2009, presented in association with the Big Lottery Fund, last night. Seamus Corry, who has walked across burning coals and ridden a zip slide over the River Clyde on behalf of the hospital's Children's Foundation was presented with his award at a gala dinner at Glasgow's Hilton Hotel.

Postal Strikes Resume As Union and Management Talks End

A SECOND wave of postal strikes will begin today after three days of talks to avert further industrial action ended without an agreement being reached. Union officials said the discussions, which were held under the chairmanship of Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, had been the "most useful and productive" since the dispute began, but said the strike would go ahead because the employer had not agreed to their latest proposal.

This Is It: Michael's Last Gift to Fans Around the World Premiere of Documentary Film Showing Jackson in Rehearsals for Final Tour

NOT even a 4am start could stop thousands of Michael Jackson fans paying a final tribute to their hero. This Is It, the film documenting rehearsals for the self-styled King of Pop's last shows, was premiered yesterday morning with simultaneous screenings in cinemas all over the world, including Glasgow.

Ultimate Professional's Swansong Fails to Take Flight Review

2/5 MIDWAY through this concert movie that's missing a concert, the feeling is not so much "This is it!" as "Is this it?" Jackson, an artist who turned it up to 11 for his performances, would surely have considered Kenny Ortega's documentary a mid-dial affair at best.

Another Two Scots with Swine Flu Die

TWO more people with underlying health conditions have died after contracting swine flu, the Scottish Government has said. The deaths, of one adult from Lanarkshire and another from Fife, brings the total number of fatalities in Scotland to 25 since the start of the pandemic.

Pope Set for First Scottish V Isit in 28 Years Murphy Says Trip Probable After Audience in Vatican

THE first papal visit to Scotland in almost 30 years looks a certainty today after Jim Murphy had an audience with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican accompanied by Cardinal Keith O'Brien. The strongest likelihood is that His Holiness will visit Glasgow to celebrate an open-air Mass, possibly at Bellahouston Park, where the late Pope John Paul II did so in 1982, or at a football stadium, possibly either Celtic Park or Hampden Park. After Liverpool, Glasgow has the highest proportion of Roman Ca...

Tory Msp Fails to Escape Driv Ing Ban Politician Tried to Use His Status to Avoid Driving Disqualification Politician Tried to Use His Status to Avoid Driving Disqualification Exclusive

A TORY MSP has been banned from driving after repeatedly speeding, despite trying to escape a ban because he was a politician. Sir Jamie McGrigor claimed his constituents would suffer "exceptional hardship" if he lost his licence .

Climate Change Affecting Scotland's Vulnerable Exclusive

SCOTLAND'S most vulnerable people are already suffering the effects of climate change, an international conference in Glasgow will hear on November 23. Politicians and charity leaders will discuss how environmental damage is hurting the nation's poor and elderly, and will seek ways to alleviate the problem.

Needless Loss of 14 Lives Deaths Caused by 'Design Mistakes and Culture of Cost-Cutting at Mod' Deaths Caused by 'Design Mistakes and Culture of Cost-Cutting at Mod' the Findings

THE 14 men who died on board Nimrod XV230 on September 2, 2006 stood no chance of surviving the fireball that consumed their aircraft over Helmand Province . Before the first on-board fire warning lit up their fate was sealed not by any mistaken action on their own part - indeed they appear to have acted "with calmness, bravery and professionalism" in the face of certain death.

Common Good Fund in Danger After Go Ape! Row Fears Over Gbp13m Pot After Council Accounting Error Fears Over Gbp13m Pot After Council Accounting Error Exclusive

GLASGOW'S Common Good Fund could be bankrupted as an unexpected consequence of the high-profile campaign to stop the Go Ape! adventure park at the city's Pollok Park. Scotland's public sector watchdog has ruled that Glasgow City Council broke the law by not including the park on the fund's balance sheets, despite the land being officially recognised as common good on the back of the Save Pollok Park campaign.

Mps Will Have No Veto Power Over Expenses Plans Many Expected a Chance to Vote On Radical Proposals

THE wrath of MPs over the proposed new expenses regime at Westminster s set to increase still further today after it emerged they will not have an opportunity to veto any of the radical reforms. There was an expectation among some parliamentarians that they could vote down any of Sir Christopher Kelly's plans they deemed excessive.

Griffin Stands Up His Party's Candidate for Glasgow Poll

BNP leader Nick Griffin refused to go on the Glasgow North East by-election campaign trail yesterday as he was pelted with eggs by protesters in Hamilton . Mr Griffin came under the spotlight on the day that nominations closed for the poll on November 12. A total of 13 candidates will contest the seat previously held by former Commons speaker Michael Martin.

Merkel 'Cooling' On Idea of Blair As President

GORDON Brown's hopes of seeing Tony Blair become president of Europe have taken a serious knock after reports out of Germany suggested Angela Merkel is cooling on the idea of "having to listen to Mr Flash all the time". In another jolt to the Prime Minister's ambition for his predecessor, Richard von Weiszaecker, the former German president, argued that the ex-PM's support for the Iraq war would count against him on the continent. "It won't happen, " he declared.

Gordon Back On Labour Front Bench

CHARLIE GORDON, the MSP who resigned over the donation that contributed to the downfall of former Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander, has been promoted by her successor. Current leader Iain Gray last night added Mr Gordon to his front bench team as he put the finishing touches to his reshuffled shadow cabinet. The MSP for Glasgow Cathcart will be transport and infrastructure spokesman.

European Commission Approves Scots Ferry Subsidies

THE hundreds of millions of pounds used to subsidise lifeline ferry services around Scotland, do not constitute illegal state aid, the European Commission confirmed yesterday. There is no demand that Caledonian MacBrayne's network of routes be broken up, as many had feared, but the Gourock-to-Dunoon service currently run by CalMac must be put out for tender again.

Fear Over Value for Money of Network Rail Fund Agency Queries Priorities Agency Queries Priorities Exclusive

TRANSPORT Scotland has expressed misgivings about the borrowing mechanism it used to fund a GBP1 billion package of rail enhancements in the central belt, questioning whether it represented value for money to the taxpayer, The Herald has learned. The government agency claimed that borrowing by Network Rail, the not-forprofit company that owns the UK's rail infrastructure, was a form of "unsupported debt" and said it had not been given evidence of its value to Scottish ministers.

Gbp30m to Help Students Hit by Recession Loans to Be Increased by Up to Gbp442

A PACKAGE of measures aimed at helping students through the recession has been announced by the Scottish Government. Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop said GBP30 million would be allocated in the next academic year to increase the income of up to 75,000 students.