The Scotsman

Salmond Says Deal with Labour Is 'Unlikely'

First Minister Alex Salmond has said it is "unlikely" he would work with Scottish Labour in the event of a hung Parliament following the Holyrood elections next year. Mr Salmond said it was an "extremely unlikely prospect" that he would serve as Deputy First Minister in an SNP-Labour coalition.

Business Leaders Defend Charges

EDINBURGH'S main business organisation has defended BAA's move to charge all visitors to the city's airport, saying it could help cut carbon emissions by reducing car journeys to the hub. The capital's chamber of commerce had questioned whether the move would cut down on the number of people bringing private vehicles to the airport.

Ministers Set to Back New Asda Store

SCOTTISH ministers say they are minded to approve a new Asda store for Inverness if the supermarket giant completes a scheme to ease traffic congestion. But a formal decision will be delayed for at least three months to allow the action to be approved by roads authorities.

Immigrant Who Killed Woman May Be Spared Jail

A MAN who killed his landlady after blaming her for arranging an attack on him could be spared a jail sentence, a judge said yesterday. Jonas Norkus, 43, suspected Vitalija Nemniaseviene, 48, a fellow Lithuanian, was involved in underhand dealings, and that she had him beaten up when he crossed her.

Chaotic Scenes As Crofting Reform Voted In

A MOVE to scrap plans for a map-based register of every croft in Scotland was voted down by MSPs yesterday. The register is one of the controversial elements of the Crofting Reform Bill, which was approved by Holyrood after six years of consultation.

'Silver Sozzlers' Raise Their Glasses to the Pension Plan You Can Drink

THIRSTY senior citizens or silver sozzlers, as they are sometimes known, have been known to blow their pensions on drink. But yesterday saw the birth of a quite different phenomenon, a pension fund being saved - rather than squandered on - innumerable bottles of whisky.

Sports Fans Face Price Confusion As Bt Starts Screening Sky's Channels

Sports fans looking for Sky Sports will find themselves awash with choice of viewing options in future, as communications company BT Vision started to broadcast the popular channels. BT is now one of three suppliers broadcasting some or all of Sky Sports output, joining the original broadcaster BSkyB and Virgin Media.

Drug-Fuelled Crime Targeted in Court Pilot

A SENTENCING scheme aimed at rehabilitating drug users in the early stages of their addiction so they do not commit crimes to fund their habits is to be rolled out across Scotland. The new Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO) initiative will focus on people earlier on in their criminal careers, before their drug problems become too complex.

Nine Earn More Than Gbp150k at Scots Public Companies

The six-figure salaries of people working for Scotland's taxpayer- supported bodies were published last night. The Scottish Government released a list of the nine people earning more than GBP150,000 a year in Scottish non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and public corporations.

Eigg Wins Top Green Award

A SCOTTISH island last night won a major international green energy award for its efforts to use renewables and cut carbon emissions. The Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust won the top prize of GBP20,000 in the prestigious Ashden Awards after it reduced household carbon emissions on the island by almost 50 per cent.

City House Prices Show Sharp Rise in Past Year

HOUSE prices in the west of Scotland rose sharply during the second quarter of 2010, new figures have shown. According to the Glasgow Solicitors Property Centre (GSPC), the average selling price of a home rose by around GBP8,500, or 6.7 per cent, to GBP138,000 in the past three months. This follows two previous quarters of price falls.

Having a Splashing Time Again

A VICTORIAN swimming pool rescued from closure after a huge public campaign has reopened its doors after a GBP5.7 million revamp. More than 9,500 people backed a petition to save Glenogle Baths, in Edinburgh, after it fell into disrepair and was threatened with being sold off by the local authority.

'Forgotten Generation' Warning Over Slump in Jobs for Graduates

GRADUATE employment has dropped according to new statistics, causing critics to warn of a "forgotten generation" of young people. The new figures from the Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA) from 2008-9 show graduate employment in Scotland dropped from 69 per cent to 65 per cent.

Husband and Wife Team in Charge of Investigating Gbp1.7bn Bp Oil Disaster

SCOTTISH troubleshooters have been drafted in to investigate the BP oil spill, The Scotsman has learned. Ayrshire-based Kelvin TOP-SET has been hired by Transocean, the owner of the BP-operated rig which exploded, killing 11 people and causing the United States' worst environmental disaster, with clean- up costs so far topping GBP1.7 billion.

Headteacher at Top School Faces Bullying Claim From Employee

AN employee at one of Scotland's most exclusive private schools has claimed she suffered a miscarriage after being bullied by the headmaster, a tribunal has heard. Fiona Gordon is suing Loretto School in East Lothian over alleged sex discrimination after she claims she was targeted for taking maternity leave.

Britain Expects . . Murray Mania Gathers Momentum On Eve of Nadal Showdown

WHILE Andy Murray carries the hopes of the entire nation with him when he walks on to Centre Court for today's men's singles Wimbledon semi-final against World No.1 Rafael Nadal, some fans were forced to wait in the rain for a ticket or splash out up to GBP4000 to witness the historic sporting moment. With bookmakers making Murray the British underdog at 5-4 to become the first male British finalist since 1938, the Scot needs all the help he can get.

Gathering Debts Row Takes a New Twist As Scots Ministers Clash

Scottish ministers have been at loggerheads with each other over last summer's controversial Gathering of the clans, it was revealed last night. The row over the financing of the event, which was the centrepiece of the government's Homecoming Year, took a new twist when it emerged that environment minister Roseanna Cunningham had repeatedly expressed her displeasure about the way the event had been handled.

Pesticides a Cancer Risk to the Unborn, Say Scientists

SCIENTISTS have called for a government crackdown on pesticides that they warn are putting pregnant women at greater risk of having children with cancer. The researchers say studies have shown that pesticide exposure either before conception or during pregnancy increases the risk of childhood cancer.

Analysis: Woes of the Euro Open Door for a Closer Relationship with Our Continental Friends

THERE were a few eyebrows raised yesterday when William Hague made a speech suggesting that Britain needed to be closer to Europe, not least from some of his Eurosceptic Conservative colleagues. This is the man, after all, who as Tory leader had the most Eurosceptic party manifesto in recent history in the 2001 general election.

Hague Wants Britain at Heart of Eu

Foreign Secretary William Hague has set out an agenda to put UK back at the heart of Europe by getting more Britons to find jobs in the corridors of power in Brussels. The pledge by Mr Hague came as a surprise to many and appeared to reverse the Conservative Party's antipathy towards closer integration.