Useful Scots word: keek
By Betty Kirkpatrick I was in a bus the other day when a toddler was attempting to get the rest of the passengers to join in her game. She was covering her eyes with her scarf, then removing it and...
View ArticleBafflement ensues as Elmer outshines Ed
I’d the great pleasure of hearing Labour leader Ed Miliband speak at the weekend. I say “great pleasure” in the relative sense; compared, say, to having my nose amputated without anaesthetic. Iain...
View ArticleAfter the earthquake: a week of worries mixed with reassurance
By Giles Tuck in Tokyo The days following the earthquake have been a blur. The initial shock was replaced with horror as we saw TV images of the tsunami and the scale of the disaster began to emerge....
View ArticleHenry Hazlitt’s lesson in economics remains relevant 65 years on
If you want to understand something of where the current administration’s thinking comes from, you could do worse that read Henry Hazlitt’s Economics in One Lesson. It’s one of the few books on...
View ArticleOpinion: Britain sends aircraft carrier to Libya … but not really
By James Browne The government has sent an aircraft carrier and its fleet of Harriers to the Mediterranean to carry out Britain’s commitments to the UN “no-fly zone". A spokesman for the Royal Navy...
View ArticleScottish teenagers now drink less and have safe sex, says new report
Today’s teenager is less likely to smoke, drink or take drugs – and, when he or she has sex, is more likely than not to use a condom, according to a report published today. The latest snapshot of the...
View ArticleScottish advice to George Osborne ahead of Westminster budget
This week’s Report on Jobs from the Bank of Scotland offers more evidence that there are signs of recovery in the Scottish economy. It shows both permanent and temporary jobs rising in February at what...
View ArticleTrying to win, triangles and fun: five more rules for youth football
By Stuart Crawford Last week, I outlined some of the “rules” which might be applied to youth football in Scotland, all garnered from several enjoyable years as a spectator at my son’s football games....
View ArticleNeds, narky chefs and T in the Park – a new wave of Scottish films?
In the world of fashion, two’s a coincidence, three’s a trend. Right now, 2011 sees a decided trend of Scottish directors making films in Scotland. On Friday, Glaswegian Kevin Macdonald’s The Eagle,...
View ArticleAccomplished and much-loved climber Doug Lang dies in avalanche
By Robin N Campbell Doug Lang was found dead in avalanche debris in Corrie Fee of Mayar above Glen Doll early on the morning of Saturday 19 March. He was a much-loved Dundee climber, known throughout...
View ArticleDiary: Will Mr Osborne mention “big bucks”? 33/1, say the bookies
Ken Clarke is at 16/1 to fall asleep during tomorrow’s Budget speech, while bookies will only give 8/1 on Vince Cable yawning during the set-piece parliamentary event. Bookies Ladbrokes believe Mr...
View ArticleSalmond says SNP need 40 per cent of the vote to win election
Alex Salmond launched the SNP’s Scottish election campaign today with a warning that his party would need 40 per cent of the vote to beat Labour. The SNP leader said that the expected collapse of the...
View ArticleMiddle East faces chaos as anti-Gaddafi coalition battles confusion
After three days of bombing, the UN/NATO/Arab League “coalition” fighting Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi is showing signs of fatigue, frustration, confusion and possible collapse. It’s not hard to see...
View ArticleNo clear favourite as the cricket world cup reaches its knockout stage
Technically, it’s at the six-sevenths stage – 42 matches down, seven to go – but this feels like the pivotal point in proceedings. The tenth cricket world cup, being played across India, Bangladesh and...
View ArticleOpinion: Let’s have this coalition rather than that coalition
By James Browne And they’re off. The Scottish General Election campaign has begun. I am now ready to call the result. The first draft of this piece was a Jeremiad about how shite Scotland is and how a...
View ArticleMr Osborne’s budget: economic reform, tax relief and a fuel duty cut
The chancellor, George Osborne, described his budget as one that would reform and rebalance the economy while helping families with the cost of living. Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon,...
View ArticleDiary: We don’t intend to start providing regular betting tips, but…
The Caledonian Mercury doesn't like to take credit for too much, but we do really feel that all of our readers who took advantage of the odds we flagged up yesterday – on Ken Clarke falling asleep...
View ArticleElizabeth Taylor, 1932–2011: the first all-purpose star
The passing of Dame Elizabeth Taylor has seen the dusting down of that obituary standard, “The end of an era.” We shall not see such beauty, such eccentricity, such fondness for the marriage process,...
View ArticleBudget reaction from the markets, the business sector and unions
The chancellor, George Osborne, may have delivered as upbeat a budget speech as he could, but it had little impact on the financial markets. The pound, gilts and share prices were all largely unmoved...
View ArticleVideo: Patrick Harvie on why you should vote Green
The Alternative Debate: In the spirit of open discussion, The Caledonian Mercury is giving the leaders of Scotland's main parties the chance to explain why you should vote for them. Here Patrick...
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