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THE myth of the decline of Scotland’s countryside was debunked yesterday by statistics indicating increased migration and rising birth rates in rural areas. for more click here

MOTORISTS were yesterday warned that Scotland’s most extensive programme of roadworks ever will cause traffic disruption until 2011.

Details of the 18-month project to divert underground pipes and cables as part of the first stage of Edinburgh’s £600 million trams scheme were unveiled. for more click here

COUNCIL tax payers could be left to pay for a shortfall in funding for Edinburgh’s tram scheme, the city’s deputy leader claimed yesterday.

Steve Cardownie predicted a gap in the £45 million pledged by the council because of the lack of business contributions to the project. for more click here

New Chief Executive and Producer Major General Euan Loudon unveiled the full programme for the 2007 Edinburgh Military Tattoo Friday 27 July.

The 58th Edinburgh Tattoo features 500 musicians, 200 dancers, a 150-strong all-girl Taiwanese drill group, 35 motorcycles and 30 horses performing together against the famous backdrop of the Castle ramparts. 2007’s showpiece event pays tribute to the Diamond Wedding Anniversary of HM The Queen and HRH Prince Philip, as well as celebrating 150 years of military music, with a multinational flavour provided with participants from as far afield as Africa, America and Asia. for more click here

MIAMI — Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega on Thursday made his first court appearance in a dozen years, his face expressionless as his lawyers fought a French request for extradition once he is released from a Florida prison in September.

A black coat covering his general’s uniform and insignia, the 72-year-old answered tersely in Spanish to U.S. Magistrate William C. Turnoff’s questions about his name, age and whether he understood the proceedings. for more click here

A civic reception will take place next month for the Glasgow airport workers and travellers whose courage on Saturday 30 June when bombers struck the terminal building may well have prevented horrific slaughter.
John Smeaton, a 31-year-old baggage handler, became the emblematic figure for a day when God smiled on Glasgow. His comment that he was only doing his civic duty was indeed a boost for the battered concept of citizenship. He was affirming that, as well as rights, we also have duties that sometimes we are called upon to exercise in order to protect freedom and the rule of law. for more click here

Landmine #1: Even higher energy prices will crush the bull market in stocks

   I’m sure you’ve felt the effects of rising energy prices in recent years. In 2006, for example, electricity bills in the U.K. rose 27% on average, and gas bills jumped 40%.

   This was only the first sign of things to come. Energy costs are locked into a worldwide uptrend that will probably last the rest of your life. They are the product of a supply/demand squeeze, caused by the tremendous economic growth and industrialisation taking place in Asia. Unfortunately, it is a situation that will only get worse. In fact, our analysis suggests that within a few short years, the oil squeeze will cause energy prices to double, undermining both stock market returns and the world economy.

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The 2007 Edinburgh Art Festival launched 26 July, bringing 37 city gallery spaces together under one umbrella festival and placing the visual arts at the heart of August’s international cultural mix. The fourth Art Festival is the biggest yet, with over 60 events and over 100 different artists exhibiting work throughout the city. for more click here

Wiesbaden, Germany - In the Rhine Valley city of Mannheim, the glittering minaret of Germany’s biggest mosque overshadows what was once the region’s most vibrant church, testifying to Muslims’ new confidence as Christian churches are closing down.

Years ago, 180 sisters of the Catholic order of the Sisters of the Divine Savior were the pulse of the city. Today, eight remain. Every weekend, roughly 150 Roman Catholics attend mass at the Liebfrauen Church, while up to 3,000 Muslims throng the Yavuz-Sultan-Selim mosque. Since the mosque was opened in 1995, Muslim shops and youth centers have become a magnet for the Muslim community. for more click here

Editor’s Note: As the nation and the world face 18 more months of George W. Bush’s presidency, a chilling prospect is that Bush – confronted with more defeats and reversals – might just “lose it” and undertake even more reckless military adventures.

In this special memorandum, the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) collaborated with psychiatrist Justin Frank, author of Bush on the Couch, to assess the potential dangers and possible countermeasures available to constrain Bush: for more click here