UK officials reiterate that Gaddafi is not a target
by Kirsty Tobin
15.24 UK officials have reiterated that Gaddafi is under no circumstances a target.
14.14 David Cameron has announced that “his government and the attorney general are satisfied that the resolution gives a responsibility to respond to Gaddafi and to use all measures to enforce the no fly zone.” This may lead to a deployment of ground troops. The UN resolution effectively freezes the assets of Gaddafi and his family. Ed Miliband responds by welcoming the action in Libya. He wants reassurance that “the action will happen in a timely fashion” and he also wants to know what the “long-term future” will be in the wake of the Libyan action.
14.10 UN officials reiterate the importance of coalition forces being in complete agreement on strategy for dealing with the Libya situation.
13.20 Cuban and Venezuelan officials have come out against the coalition’s strikes on Libya, citing the risk of civilian casualties as the reason for their opposition of the operation.
For live updates, follow us on twitter: Edinburgh Napier News
To follow our account of today’s events as they unfolded, [Read more...]
Last days before dissolution
by Gráinne Byrne
Third session of Holyrood about to go into recess
As we approach the last official day for Holyrood MSPs before Parliamentary recess, opposing parties are marking their line in the sand ahead of tomorrow’s final questions session. This final session, before dissolution, sets the tone for a battle between the parties leading to the election on 5 May 2011.
In an attempt to engage with the public, First Minister Alex Salmond and his main opponent, Labour leader Iain Gray, will take part in various debates over the next few weeks. Key issues in the frame include higher education, the economy, the health system and, perhaps most importantly, how they will deal with the financial cuts. [Read more...]
Health authority regrets ‘tragic’ nut allergy death
by Ray Philp
A health authority has expressed their “deepest sympathies” for the family of a 9 year old daughter who died of anaphylactic shock shortly after a GP had failed to prescribe a device that could have saved her life.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde were implicated in a report published by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman that criticised the lack of clear guidance regarding the prescription of adrenaline auto injector pens, or EpiPens.
An EpiPen might have saved Miss C. Photo: D Walsh
International news headlines
by Tina Charon and Patrick McPartlin
Middle East
Libya
For the moment the US, UK and France are continuing air strikes against the country. A second raid was lead early this morning and destroyed a building in Libya’s capital Tripoli. The building was one of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s command centres. US officials have said that Colonel Gaddafi himself was not a target of the air strikes.
The Arab League, Russia and China have condemned the attacks. Arab League General Secretary Amr Mussa said, “What has happened in Libya differs from the goal of imposing a no-fly zone. What we want is the protection of civilians.” He has also announced that an emergency meeting of the 22-member Arab league is about to be set up.
‘Old Firm need to forget the past for the sake of the future’
by Ryan C. Gavan
Being an impartial observer, spending time covering the Old Firm clash at Hampden Park yesterday was an experience in the very least. It was the first time the teams have met since the much publicised game two weeks ago, all eyes were watching. I went wondering whether the fans had taken any notice of the warnings or the Summit on the Old Firm.
Union Jacks and Tricolors are abundant at Old Firm matches. Photo: R Gavan
I was greeted by a very heavy police presence. It looked to me like a the preparation for a riot. Mixing with fans on both sides, I noticed that the sectarian attitude is engrained to Old Firm meetings. Tri-colours on one side, Union Jacks on the other, it goes beyond religion to politics, using that term very loosely. One Rangers fan had a scarf with the words “William of Orange” while a Celtic fan wore a top with “Bobby Sands MP” embroidered in orange and green. Speaking to both sets of fans, they blame the other for the trouble. The real issue here is the culture, the so-called “90-minute bigot.” They go to the game, sing their sectarian songs and go home, not thinking about it until the next meeting. The issue for politicians, police and the Old Firm itself, is how to change years of hatred. Many wonder whether this is even possible.
Iron Age gold hoard to finally be on display at The National Museum of Scotland
by Emily Glass
National Museums Scotland have finally secured a set of four Iron Age gold neck ornaments after raising funds for two years.
The treasure was found by David Booth in 2009 in his first outing with his metal detector whilst at work. Chief Game Warden at Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling, Booth unearthed the trove which was lying a mere six inches below the surface of a field.
The neck ornaments, or torcs, date between the 1st and 3rd Century BC and will be on display in the National Collections at The National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street.
Mr Booth will receive a reward payment of £462,000 which was set-up by the Queen’s and Lord Treasure’s Remembrancer after he reported his remarkable find to the Treasure Trove Unit.
The treasure has been cited by Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop as being the most important Iron Age find in Scotland’s history. She described the importance of the hoard’s display in The National Museum of Scotland: “I congratulate the National Museum of Scotland on its successful fundraising campaign to ensure that it remains here and will be on free display for the general public.”
Flying visit to London as Leuchars petition is delivered to government
by Patrick McPartlin and Tom Barry
With the closure of RAF Kinloss in Moray already confirmed, fears are mounting over the future of Scotland’s other airbases in Lossiemouth and Leuchars following orders by the Westminster government to cut RAF spending as part of the strategic defence review.
Campaigners are set to hand in a petition with 7000 signatures to Downing Street, protesting the closure of the RAF Leuchars airbase. There are more than 21,000 members of the Save RAF Leuchars group on Facebook, which has been set up by Residents Action Force Leuchars.
One of the Tornado jets based at RAF Leuchars.
Who wants to be a MacMillionaire?
Henderland Road. One of the city's most affulent areas. Photo by Emily Glass.
by Anne Mackie and Emily Glass
A recent report by Barclays Banking suggests the number of millionaires in Scotland has increased by almost 20 per cent in the past two years.
Finally filming the hobbits
by Anne Mackie
After months of delays, filming on the two ‘Hobbit’ movies is now underway in New Zealand. The wheels of ‘the Lord of the Rings’ prequels are finally in motion after plans were delayed due to funding problems, rows over actors’ wages, and director Peter Jackson’s surgery.
New Zealand: Hobbit hotspot
Do Libyans really support the revolution?
As the standoff with Colonel Gadaffi continues to escalate, Napier News has heard how Libyan students at an English school in Edinburgh have reacted to the rebellion.
Eileen Macintyre said one of her students was determined to go to fight against Gadaffi’s forces.
Finally she and her husband managed to persuade him to stay.
Macintyre, who has extensive connections to Libya, went on to cast doubt over the level of popular support for the rebels.
Listen here to an extended clip of the interview.
2.30p.m. Bulletin
by Katy Docherty, Jen McClure and Tony Garner
Tony Garner in the radio studio
read by Jen McClure and Tony Garner
Listen Here:
Online game relaunch creates new jobs in Edinburgh
By Emily Glass
Internet gaming remains popular
A US Gaming company have revived Dundee-based developer Real Time World (RTW) by buying shares in the business and plans to open a new studio in Edinburgh.
Set up in 2002 by Dave Jones, who was part of the firm responsible for creating Grand Theft Auto, RTW went into administration last August with around 250 jobs being lost.
Libya Bulletin
words by Ryan C. Gavan
Fresh attacks on military sites in Libya occurred last night to help protect the civilian population. Edinburgh Napier News gives this special report on the situation.
David Cameron addresses House on Libya situation
by Kirsty Tobin
14.14 David Cameron has announced that “his government and the attorney general are satisfied that the resolution gives a responsibility to respond to Gaddafi and to use all measures to enforce the no fly zone.” This may lead to a deployment of ground troops. The UN resolution effectively freezes the assets of Gaddafi and his family. Ed Miliband responds by welcoming the action in Libya. He wants reassurance that “the action will happen in a timely fashion” and he also wants to know what the “long-term future” will be in the wake of the Libyan action.
14.10 UN officials reiterate the importance of coalition forces being in complete agreement on strategy for dealing with the Libya situation.
13.20 Cuban and Venezuelan officials have come out against the coalition’s strikes on Libya, citing the risk of civilian casualties as the reason for their opposition of the operation.
12.27 UK officials scramble to retract comments made by defence secretary Liam Fox stating that Gaddafi is a legitimate target. Speaking on the BBC, chief of the defence staff, General Sir David Richards, said: “Absolutely not. It is not allowed under the UN resolution and it is not something I want to discuss any further.”
New York Times reports that four of their journalists being held in Libya have been released. One, Stephen Farrell, has dual Irish and British citizenship.
For live updates, follow us on twitter: Edinburgh Napier News
To follow our account of today’s events as they unfolded, [Read more...]
Hopes fade for World’s End murder families
by Katy Docherty and David Walsh
Victims Helen Scott and Christine Eadie.
The families of the World’s End murder victims are set to have their hopes dashed when the Double Jeopardy Bill goes before Holyrood. The current law prevents a person from standing trial for the same crime twice but will be scrapped in a session of the Scottish Parliament tomorrow.
The Double Jeopardy Bill will now allow a retrial if evidence arises of the acquitted person admitting guilt or new DNA evidence comes to light to strengthen the case against the accused. The conditions of the Bill have been restricted to murder, rape, culpable homicide and serious sexual offences cases.
Criminal defence lawyer John Scott is skeptical of the plans: ‘There isn’t really any evidence which is absolutely conclusive of guilt. It’s not as if DNA evidence will tell you who did it. DNA evidence is far more likely to tell you who didn’t do it and beyond that, it can tell you who might have done it.
‘But you still need something else beyond DNA evidence in order to be able to convict.’
Sports round-up: Rangers claim League Cup while Ireland slam grand English dreams
12.30p.m. Bulletin
by Katy Docherty, Jen McClure and Tony Garner
Jen McClure and Tony Garner read the 12.30 news bulletin
read by Jen McClure and Tony Garner
Listen Here:
The Libya crisis: a fresh perspective
by Tony Garner
I have never been to Libya but, as an English teacher in Edinburgh, I have met and gotten to know quite a few Libyans in the past couple of years. Many of them were encouraged to come and study in the UK with promises of funding from the Gaddafi government. Typically, they would first strive to improve their English before going on to study at a British university.
Most have been male and, in many cases, their English was almost non-existent when they arrived. Only teaching the verbs ‘to be’ and ‘to have’, there was a limit to how well I could come to understand how they felt about their country’s recent history and politics. One I remember: a beginner student, an affable chef in his early thirties, said to me out of the blue once the simple word, “Lockerbie”. I had been trying to find out what Scottish places he knew, and getting him to pronounce them. I was taken aback, but the almost-total language barrier prevented any dialogue about that most emotive of towns. Shortly afterwards, the student left the school.
I got to know much better a bright woman from near Tripoli who was in her mid-twenties and, compared to the chef, absorbed English like a sponge. In the UK with her husband and expecting a baby, she was alert to humour and mixed well with the other (mostly European students in the class. She had studied dentistry in Libya and wanted to do further study before going back home to practice. One day in class another student, a Spanish woman, asked her apropos of almost nothing what she thought of Gaddafi. Her reply was swift and unhesitating: “I love him.” I wondered at the time whether that was a response learnt by rote, but a presentation she later did on Libya made me doubt it. Gaddafi was the hero of the people. He had stood up to the Americans since they bombed Tripoli in 1986. Every good thing in modern Libya was down to him, including the fact that she could dream of running a well-equipped dental surgery. She finished by inviting us all to visit her country to see how well it worked, its natural beauties and ancient historical sites. [Read more...]
UK backtrack on comments made by defence secretary
by Kirsty Tobin
14.10 UN officials reiterate the importance of coalition forces being in complete agreement on strategy for dealing with the Libya situation.
13.20 Cuban and Venezuelan officials have come out against the coalition’s strikes on Libya, citing the risk of civilian casualties as the reason for their opposition of the operation.
12.27 UK officials scramble to retract comments made by defence secretary Liam Fox stating that Gaddafi is a legitimate target. Speaking on the BBC, chief of the defence staff, General Sir David Richards, said: “Absolutely not. It is not allowed under the UN resolution and it is not something I want to discuss any further.”
New York Times reports that four of their journalists being held in Libya have been released. One, Stephen Farrell, has dual Irish and British citizenship.
11.20 According to reports, the building has been destroyed. Coalition forces say this building was a command centre.
11.13 Building in Colonel Gaddafi’s compound damaged in Tripoli airstrike.
10.51 Airstrikes by RAF Tornado jets aborted at risk of civilian casualties at target site.
For live updates, follow us on twitter: Edinburgh Napier News
To follow our account of today’s events as they unfolded, [Read more...]
That’s tweeting brilliant! Twitter is five years old
by Tom Barry
Twitter is 5 years old today. Picture: P McPartlin
Social networking website Twitter celebrates its fifth birthday today.
The micro-blogging site, which enables users to follow the antics of friends and celebrities via posted updates known as tweets, was founded in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey, and has since grown from the simple idea of an individual using an SMS service to communicate with a small group to being one of the most popular forms of communication in the world and is today estimated to have over 200 million users, generating 65 million tweets a day.
Let it snow: ski resorts enjoy best weekend of the season
by Gráinne Byrne
A snowboarder enjoys the slopes at Nevis Range. Image from Craig Cameron
Record numbers of Scottish snow-sports fans were treated to access-all-areas passes when almost every run in the country’s ski centres opened up for the best weekend of the season.
Despite other key sporting events taking place, Scotland’s five resorts enjoyed fantastic conditions and huge visitor numbers on Saturday and Sunday. Over 13,000 sports enthusiasts, including skiers, snowboarders, hill-walkers and climbers took to the hills. [Read more...]
Stopping the Traffickers
by Tony Garner
Scotland may be set for its first child trafficking prosecutions after the release of a report claiming the extent of the problem is much worse than previously feared.
Clare Tudor of the Scottish Refugee Council told Napier News that police had taken two individuals into custody.
Tudor told Napier News that children were being trafficked into Scotland for a variety of reasons, including sex trading, benefit fraud and forced labour.
Listen Here as she describes the traumatic effects on the children concerned:
Libyan conflict continues
by Kirsty Tobin
12.27 UK officials scramble to retract comments made by defence secretary Liam Fox stating that Gaddafi is a legitimate target. Speaking on the BBC, chief of the defence staff, General Sir David Richards, said: “Absolutely not. It is not allowed under the UN resolution and it is not something I want to discuss any further.”
New York Times reports that four of their journalists being held in Libya have been released. One, Stephen Farrell, has dual Irish and British citizenship.
11.20 According to reports, the building has been destroyed. Coalition forces say this building was a command centre.
11.13 Building in Colonel Gaddafi’s compound damaged in Tripoli airstrike.
10.51 Airstrikes aborted at risk of civilian casualties.
For live updates, follow us on twitter: Edinburgh Napier News
To follow our account of today’s events as they unfolded, [Read more...]
The eco-friendly week
By Sandra Juncu
"It's time to go beyond the hour" the Earth Hour organizers are telling us
Did you know that a leaking tap can fill a bath tub in less than a week, and waste as much as 1 litre of water per hour? Did you know that research has shown as much as £1 out of every £3 spent in the UK on lighting and heating homes is wasted?
These are just some of the questions being asked this week as part of a campaign to raise awareness on environmental problems and on individual alternatives for a greener future.
