A flying doctor service for Orkney could be introduced by the local health authority in an attempt to save money.
NHS Orkney’s proposals, which include basing a nurse in some of the smaller islands, could see the end of some resident island doctors.
The plans have provoked anger in Orkney’s outlying communities.
Island doctors believe patients [...]

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TWO gay councillors today sealed their love in one of Scotland’s first same-sex marriages.
Long-term partners Neil Fletcher, 41, and John Stewart, 33, are leading Liberal-Democrats on Aberdeen City Council. Kilmarnock-born John and Neil, from Stoke-on-Trent, first met at Aberdeen University and started dating in 1993.
Yesterday, Neil was looking forward to the big day. He [...]

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A town Provost has sparked outrage by demanding that Chinese replace Gaelic as a priority language in Highland education.
Duncan Allan, Provost of the Sutherland town of Dornoch angered Scotland’s 60,000 Gaelic speakers with claims that Highland youngsters should be taught Mandarin instead of Gaelic in the regions schools.
This year the Gaelic Language Bill was [...]

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[What sort of parents dump their child in another country-ed]
YOUNG Teshani Pathirana was on a trip to Britain with her family when she was told they could never return home.
Then aged just 12, she was thousands of miles away from her Sri Lankan village, but had to accept she would probably never see her friends [...]

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[Why do they keep bringing in foreign nurses?-ed]

Nearly 200 fewer student nurses are to be taken on next year, the Scottish Executive has said.
Health Minister Andy Kerr said the reduction was to avoid too many trainees qualifying for too few jobs.
The executive said 3,325 student nurses would be trained, a drop of [...]

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Four people have been charged with conspiring to set fire to Fort William Sheriff Court in an attempt to prevent a case against two of the accused.
Fiona Ferguson, 38, 48-year-old Antonio Sabiu, John Martin, 30, and 23-year-old Kevin Lusk denied the charge when they appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court.
They have been accused of conspiring [...]

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WESTERN Isles council has hit back at claims that it is banning gay marriages, and says it is fully complying with legislation on civil partnerships.
It was reported that councillors have backed local registrars, who say they will not take part in civil partnership ceremonies on the islands.
The council says this does not amount [...]

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David Cameron has launched a 5-point positive action plan to guarantee more women and black and ethnic minority MPs.
The new Party leader appealed to every woman in Britain, and everyone from a black or ethnic minority background, who shares his passion to change Britain for the better and who shares our values to apply to [...]

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The year 2005 is likely to be one of Scotland’s five warmest years on record since 1914, according to WWF Scotland.
The environmental group said 10 of the 11 months so far had been warmer than the long-term average.
Met Office data showed that November was the third sunniest on record and the sunniest since 1996. [...]

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Oil giant Shell has cut its plans for North Sea exploration, blaming Chancellor Gordon Brown’s tax hikes for the move.
The company had planned to hire three drilling rigs, but has decided to reduce the number to two.
Shell said it took the decision after a review prompted by the chancellor’s decision to increase [...]

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Ancient tools found in Britain show that humans lived in northern Europe 200,000 years earlier than was previously known, at a time when England’s climate was warm enough to be the home of lions, elephants and saber-tooth tigers, scientists announced Wednesday.
The 32 black flint artifacts, found in river sediments in Pakefield in eastern England, [...]

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Production at Rolls-Royce’s Hillington plant on the outskirts of Glasgow has ended after 65 years.
A closing ceremony celebrated the success of the facility, which began producing aircraft engines in 1940.
A Rolls-Royce spokesman said the plant played a key role the in Scotland’s social history, the World War II war effort and in jet engine [...]

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The Scottish Parliament has backed plans to speed up divorce following a Holyrood chamber debate.
Where the split is not contested, the separation period will shorten from two years to one and from five years to two where one partner contests the case.
A group of 34 MSPs failed to have the process restricted to 18 [...]

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The Catholic Church has told MSPs that plans to reform family law will weaken the concept of marriage in Scotland.
It made the claim at a meeting of the justice 1 committee as it took evidence on the Family Law (Scotland) Bill.
Plans to speed up divorces and give greater rights to co-habiting couples would only [...]

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THE Scottish Executive was today accused of building up a £500m election war chest as a new report warned council taxes could rise by up to 6.6 per cent next year.
Cash totalling £1.5 billion which has been allocated to Scotland is still sitting in the Treasury. Two thirds of it is committed to projects [...]

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The annual British National Party St. Andrew’s Day meeting, held this year in Glasgow on Sunday the 4th of December, brought in a record collection that amazed even veteran members present.
90 people attend the meeting at a plush hotel in the city and helped raise a fantastic £5,700 to allow Glasgow BNP to campaign [...]

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A £113MILLION plan that includes a proposal to build a supermarket on the site of a sheltered housing complex has sparked protests.
Around 35 elderly residents in Barrhead, Renfrewshire, have been told their flats are on one of the sites targeted for a possible megastore.
Developers want to build a store at one of [...]

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AMERICAN anti-war campaigner Cindy Sheehan brought her message of peace to Glasgow in front more than 150 supporters.
The 60-year-old, whose son was killed in the Iraq war, was given a standing ovation at a Bring The Troops Home rally in a city hotel.
She was joined by fellow campaigners Rose Gentle, from Pollok, Glasgow [...]

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AN ASIAN pupil was hit on the head with a hammer in a savage attack by 10 youths outside a school at lunchtime.
It follows a similar incident outside another East Renfrewshire school three weeks ago, where a 15-year-old boy was hit with a machete.
Police believe both attacks could be linked to gang feuds [...]

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Hindu leaders want a snack van moved from outside their temple - because they’re offended by the smell of beef burgers.
The religious chiefs are demanding Elsie McLean is shifted from her patch in Glasgow.
They’re upset because Hindus don’t eat cows,regarding the animals as sacred.
Last night Elsie,39 - who fears losing her trading licence - said: [...]

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