Sunday Herald

Murder Inquiry After Airdrie Death

A MURDER inquiry has been launched following the death of a man who was subjected to a violent attack. Police were called to a flat in Laggan Road, Airdrie, on Friday after reports that a man had been seriously assaulted. He was taken to Monklands General Hospital in Coatbridge but died as a result of his injuries.

Firefighters Tackle Deluge of Flood Calls

FIRE crews dealt with a large number of flooding calls in central Scotland after gales battered parts of the country. There were call- outs in Falkirk, Grangemouth and Larbert, as well as areas of flooding around the River Carron. Dunfermline, Ballingry and Rosyth, Fife were also affected by heavy rain.

Two Sought After City Centre Attack

A TEENAGER has been raped by two men in Glasgow city centre. The 18-year-old was walking along Buchanan Street when she was approached by the men, who pulled her down McCormick Lane. They then subjected her to the rape before running off in the direction of Buchanan Street. The incident happened at around 2:30am on Sunday, January 30.

Man Injured in Jewellery Theft

A MAN had jewellery and a substantial amount of money stolen by three attackers in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, yesterday morning. The 48-year-old victim suffered an eye injury during the attack. Police are appealing for witnesses to the robbery, which took place at 6.15am yesterday morning in Penrith Avenue.

Scots Rugby Fans Grin and Bear It ...

Scots Stars Pop Off to Take Texas by Storm

A record 20 Scottish bands have been selected to play at the world's most influential music festival, South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. Leading the Scottish invasion this year will be several elder statesmen of the local scene, including ex-Fratellis singer Jon Fratelli, former Orange Juice frontman Edwyn Collins, and darling of the Fence Collective, King Creosote.

Gray Drives Green Transport Pledge

SCOTTISH Labour leader Iain Gray has promised he and fellow ministers will switch to hybrid or electric cars if his party is elected in May. After test-driving a Mitsubishi i-MiEv electric car in Paisley, Gray said diesel and petrol cars in the ministerial fleet would be phased out and replaced with greener models.

Nhs Body Offers Staff Health Deal ... With Private Clinic

A NATIONAL Health Service body set up to reduce health inequalities has been criticised after entering into a pound(s)27,000 private health deal for its own staff. Employees at NHS Health Scotland will get private consultations from a Glasgow- based clinic courtesy of the taxpayer. Jackie Baillie, Labour's shadow health secretary, said the Scottish Government had "very serious questions" to answer about the move.

Snp Fights Back in Tax Powers Row

THE cross-Border row over the Westminster Bill giving Holyrood more tax powers intensified last night, as Alex Salmond promised to publish secret correspondence showing the UK Government was guilty of a "rushed and casual approach" to the landmark legislation. The First Minister said the material would also refute the Coalition claim that the Scottish Government had not put forward detailed ideas on its alternative plan for greater tax powers.

Swinney Call for Parties to Back Budget 'in the National Interest'

FINANCE Secretary John Swinney last night urged the opposition parties at Holyrood to act in the "national interest" and pass the final budget before May's Scottish elections. Anxious to avoid a repeat of the SNP's defeat two years ago, Swinney said he would negotiate down to the wire ahead of Wednesday's knife-edge vote. It is understood Tory MSPs and Independent Margo Macdonald are ready to back the SNP, giving the Government 64 votes, while Labour, the LibDems and Greens together also have...

'Read-Ins' Bid to Halt Library Closures

PROTESTERS have held "read-ins" and storytelling sessions at libraries across Britain to campaign against planned branch closures. Save Our Libraries Day saw library users, authors, parents and children take part in the demonstrations.

Labour L Future Jobs Fund to Provide Work and Opportunities... [Derived Headline]

Labour l Future Jobs Fund to provide work and opportunities for young people

Jazz Festival's New Tune

Britain's biggest and longest-running jazz festival is set to shift its dates because of conflict with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival has revealed it will move forward a week this year, beginning its 10-day run on July 22, in an effort to attract bigger audiences, more investment and access to more venues. Roger Spence, festival director, said: "We want to be clear of conflicts with the Edinburgh Fringe. The Fringe has a lot more financial power than we do.

Tracy Nugent, 34, (Pictured Left) I Never Used to Bother... [Derived Headline]

Tracy Nugent, 34, (pictured left) I never used to bother much with politics, but now I make a point of watching the news. We are not all in this together. Government ministers live in mansions. Good on them, but when they decide about people trying to get back into work?

David Rodger, 30, Ex-Homeless (Pictured Above) Right Now I'm Living... [Derived Headline]

David Rodger, 30, ex-homeless (pictured above) Right now I'm living in a one-bedroom flat in Pumpherston, West Lothian. For a while I was sleeping rough and when I told the housing officer "I slept in an outhouse last night", he just nodded. The Cyrenians charity helped me sort out a tenancy, which I've had since June. I'm going to be badly hit by the cuts. My housing benefit will be cut by pound(s)25 a month from April. Then the Government are changing the Local Housing Allowance from Octobe...

As Scottish Councils Prepare to Set Their Budgets, There Has... [Derived Headline]

AS Scottish councils prepare to set their budgets, there has been a rash of headlines about job losses, service cuts and increased charges. To many, the stories come as a surprise and the decisions seem almost arbitrary. Aberdeen City Council, where plans for 1000 compulsory redundancies have been followed by a U-turn and the likely collapse of the ruling coalition, has appeared chaotic. But behind the headlines for financial year 2011-12 lies a long, often agonised series of decisions and co...

Ann Mccutcheon, 68, Disabled (Pictured Right) Ilive in Lanarkshire Houses,... [Derived Headline]

Ann McCutcheon, 68, disabled (pictured right)

As Scotland Braces Itself for the Full Impact of Spending... [Derived Headline]

AS Scotland braces itself for the full impact of spending cuts, officials from a cash-strapped local authority have put forward proposals to save money by introducing a four-day week in all primary and secondary schools. The suggestion by North Ayrshire Council would require parents taking an extra day off work, but critics have slammed the move as "stupid" and "a sad state of affairs".

People Have Been Talking of the Age of Austerity For... [Derived Headline]

PEOPLE have been talking of the age of austerity for so long it can sometimes feel as if the miserable era has already been and gone. But make no mistake: the axe is now about to strike. When the financial year 2011-12 starts in April, a series of UK-wide changes to benefits and tax credits will start to roll out, making life harder for society as a whole and, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, for the least well off most of all. This week, most people in Scotland will get a vivid...

Michael Joyce, 30, Unemployed (Pictured Above) Ihave Been Unemployed For... [Derived Headline]

Michael Joyce, 30, unemployed (pictured above) IHAVE been unemployed for a year and two months, but on and off Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for six years. I get pound(s)64.85 on JSA and pound(s)60 a week Housing Benefit which covers the rent of my flat in Edinburgh, where I live alone. The Government plans to cut JSA from this April and from April 2013 those on JSA for more than a year will also lose 10% of their Housing Benefit.