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Daily Archives: July 11, 2012
Politics News: Scotland’s economic weather forecast: It’s going to be cloudy with mizzle
Jul 12 2012
By Magnus Gardham
SCOTLAND’S economic outlook is “cloudy” according to a business weather map out today.
Economists at PwC predict slow growth but improving job prospects this year and next.
Their analysis rates Scotland as “cloudy” – though the country is expected to perform better than most parts of the “rainy” UK.
Only London and south-east England can expect “sunny intervals,” according to the financial giant’s UK Economic Outlook report.
The crisis-hit eurozone was rated “stormy,” with no economic growth.
The Scottish economy is expected to grow by a sluggish 0.7 per cent this year and next, slightly below the UK average of 0.8 per cent.
Only north-east and north-west England, Wales and Northern Ireland face a worse economic outlook.
However, employment in Scotland is expected to increase faster than the rest of the UK, with 71.1 per cent of the working age population in jobs, compared with 70.6 per across Britain.
And there was better news for the Scottish property market.
Across the UK as a whole, PwC said prices would not return to their 2007 peak until 2024 “if at all”.
But in Scotland – which did not experience such a dramatic boom and bust in house prices – values have already returned to their pre-crash levels.
The average Scottish house price was £156,419 last year, according to official figures from the Registers of Scotland, compared with £154,886 in 2007 before the slump.
Despite a gloomy outlook for growth, Lindsay Gardiner, head of PwC Scotland, insisted there were grounds for economic optimism and urged business leaders to look on the bright side.
He said: “While the summer season has its challenges – particularly for those retailers whose sales figures are being impacted as a result of the incessant rain and flooding – I am keen that, where possible, we focus on positive trends.
“We need to build our business confidence and develop a more positive outlook as we look ahead to 2013. After all, Scotland has a great deal of potential to support the UK economy as it continues the long path out of recession.”
But Scottish Labour’s finance spokesman Ken Macintosh said: “Scottish families already facing up to a flat housing market, high unemployment, pay freezes, reliance on part-time work and a rise in the cost of living will look at these forecasts in despair.
“With the economy so flat, it is time we saw real political leadership at Westminster and Holyrood to turn round this bleak picture.
“But all we are getting is a Tory Government with no alternative to austerity and an SNP Government who seem content to amplify the cuts to suit a warped argument on the constitution.”
Weird News: Amazing Scottish UFO sightings revealed in secret MoD files
Jul 12 2012
By John Ferguson Molly Farrell
TOP-SECRET Government papers on Scottish UFO sightings were released for the first time yesterday.
The X-Files dossier includes everything from alien abductions on the A70 to a US “black ops” spy plane in Machrihanish.
And the Record’s very own Mulder and Scully have been sifting through the reports to determine whether there really could be something out there.
The MoD claim they have no interest in “flying saucer matters” – but the files prove otherwise.
Official papers reveal former PM Tony Blair was briefed on alien invasion scenarios.
And in 1995 a government official called for a full study of UFO data as national security implications had never been properly assessed.
The hundreds of files prove debate over the existence of little green men has raged for decades in Westminster.
One report contains the minutes of the 1950 MoD Flying Saucer Working Party.
The archive also reveals that until the post was abolished in 2009, UFO Desk Officers undertook alien investigations for the MoD. Here, we look at some of the more interesting cases.
1. The most startling account in recent years was the apparent abduction by aliens of two men on the A70 outside Edinburgh.
The incident in 1992 forms the basis of a film starring Scots actor Billy Boyd, out later this year.
Colin Wright and Garry Wood claim a UFO “dropped a curtain of white light in front of the car” as they drove along. Both men say they blacked out then woke up facing the other way on the wrong side of the road having been out cold for over an hour.
The pair underwent hypnosis and are said to have recalled the entire motorway abduction.
● Conclusion: We wouldn’tlike to pour cold water on this story but anyone who has seen Derren Brown knows people say strange things under hypnosis.
2. In August 1996, the MoD took an interest in reports of a UFO close to Dundee Airport.
A witness said it “looked like three balls in the shape of a pyramid, larger than stars”.
Investigators showed concern that the lights seemed to follow her while she was in her car.
● Conclusion: An unexplained flying object over an airport is probably, er… a plane.
3. / In 1992, MP George Foulkes asked questions about the existence of a US “black ops” team developing an aircraft codenamed Aurora at RAF Machrihanish in Kintyre.
The MoD’s official response was that they had no knowledge of the existence of Aurora – but a UFO Desk Officer who investigatedthe claims said he would “not be surprised if it did exist”.
● Conclusion: Hard evidence like pictures of the aircraft or sightings of hordes of US scientists who would have worked on the project is thin on the ground.
4. In 1999 in Ayrshire, a police officer and an air traffic controller spotted a 10-mile wide object floating over Prestwick tower.
● Conclusion: We spotted similar UFOs from the windows of Record HQ in Glasgow … or were they just clouds?
5. Since 2005, there have been dozens of reports of weird “golden orbs” in the sky over the UK.
● Conclusion: Sightings of these mysterious “orbs” rocketed at just the sametime as Chinese sky lanterns became a “must-have” party accessory.
Scottish News: Labour leader Margaret Curran calls for Government help to find Freshlink buyer
Scotland Tonight: The ‘dire straits’ of farmers after cuts to milk price
Cuts to the milk price paid to farmers is “the final nail in the coffin”, warns a union boss.
Dozens of Scottish dairy farmers attended a summit in London on Wednesday warning the UK government that cuts to milk prices could drive them out of business.
The reductions of up to 2p per litre from August follow cuts for many dairy farmers imposed in the spring, and the NFU is warning that producing a litre of milk now costs many farmers significantly more than what they are paid for it.
The farming industry is also preparing for the worst harvest in decades because of the wet weather.
Speaking on Scotland Tonight NFU Scotland‘s Allan Bowie said that the milk price cut is the final straw for farmers.
He said: “I think there’s a huge pent up anger and frustration that this price cut come August is the final nail in the coffin and it’s not often farmers come out to demonstrate.
“What we heard today was 2500 people who took the time having milked their cows in the morning to come into London and just explain the dire straits they are in.”
He added: “The whole supply chain needs to understand why we need a fair price for the milk here.”
Also on Wednesday’s programme was The Scottish Farmer’s Alasdair Fletcher and Sandy Ramsay from Scottish Agricultural College.
Alasdair Fletcher said: “The fundamental problem is the contracts that the farmers have with their milk buyers. These contracts are basically a disgrace and have been since day one.
“It’s like going into a shop to buy a television with a £400 price tag on it and you give the shop owner £300 and walk out the door. That’s what happens with milk.
“The farmers are contracted to supply but the buyers can set the price at any time.”
Scotland’s weather: Rare fiery ball will be seen in Scottish skies
Householders and motorists were bracing themselves for more miserable weather and were told to beware of localised downpours, but the country’s flood alert was finally downgraded late on Wednesday.
Almost 40mm of rain – nearly half the Scottish average for July – fell over Central Scotland during a 36-hour period between Tuesday and Wednesday. While the Met Office reduced amber “be prepared” warnings to yellow “be aware” status, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency said the threat of flooding was still real, particularly on already sodden, low-lying land.
Met Office forecaster Helen Chivers said: “There has been more heavy rainfall today, particularly in southern and eastern areas.
“But that is beginning to fade away, heralding some fairly decent weather for Scotland compared to earlier this week.
“The eastern side will be cloudy with some light showers, while the west will be dry with temperatures possibly reaching 19C in Glasgow.”
The risk of localised flooding remained on Wednesday in parts of Edinburgh and the Lothians, as well as the Borders.
Yellow alerts also covered Strathclyde, Central Scotland, Tayside and Fife.
In Glasgow, Hawthorn Street was closed for a period due to flooding under the railway bridge near Carlisle Street. Sandbags were also handed out in parts of Edinburgh, including Stockbridge which had suffered chaos last weekend after heavy rain left streets under 2 ft of water.
The Scottish Government welcomed the downgrading of the flood alert, but warned people to take care.
A spokesman said: “While this is encouraging news, we are not complacent.
“A meeting of the Scottish Government’s resilience team involving representatives from Transport Scotland, the Met Office, emergency services and Sepa took place this morning to receive an update on preparations. We are confident appropriate planning and resources are in place.
“However, we would advise the travelling public and motorists to take extra care in areas that are still expected to experience heavy surface water, downpours and potentially difficult driving conditions. The Traffic Scotland control centre continues to monitor the travel situation very closely and liaise with key partners including ScotRail, Network Rail and operating companies.”
MeteoGroup said that the wet summer was caused by strong atmospheric winds blowing storms over the Atlantic towards the British Isles.
Leon Brown, meteorologist for the Weather Channel, has warned that after the wettest June on record, the bad weather could continue for several more weeks.
Meanwhile, government advisers claim around 610,000 properties would be at risk by 2035 if better planning and more investment is not made in flood defences.
John Krebs, chairman of the climate change advisory panel, said: “We must take adaptation more seriously if we are to manage the growing risks of floods and droughts. This can be done by investing more in flood defences and faster roll-out of water meters.”
Scotland’s weather: Rare fiery ball will be seen in Scottish skies
Householders and motorists were bracing themselves for more miserable weather and were told to beware of localised downpours, but the country’s flood alert was finally downgraded late on Wednesday.
Almost 40mm of rain – nearly half the Scottish average for July – fell over Central Scotland during a 36-hour period between Tuesday and Wednesday. While the Met Office reduced amber “be prepared” warnings to yellow “be aware” status, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency said the threat of flooding was still real, particularly on already sodden, low-lying land.
Met Office forecaster Helen Chivers said: “There has been more heavy rainfall today, particularly in southern and eastern areas.
“But that is beginning to fade away, heralding some fairly decent weather for Scotland compared to earlier this week.
“The eastern side will be cloudy with some light showers, while the west will be dry with temperatures possibly reaching 19C in Glasgow.”
The risk of localised flooding remained on Wednesday in parts of Edinburgh and the Lothians, as well as the Borders.
Yellow alerts also covered Strathclyde, Central Scotland, Tayside and Fife.
In Glasgow, Hawthorn Street was closed for a period due to flooding under the railway bridge near Carlisle Street. Sandbags were also handed out in parts of Edinburgh, including Stockbridge which had suffered chaos last weekend after heavy rain left streets under 2 ft of water.
The Scottish Government welcomed the downgrading of the flood alert, but warned people to take care.
A spokesman said: “While this is encouraging news, we are not complacent.
“A meeting of the Scottish Government’s resilience team involving representatives from Transport Scotland, the Met Office, emergency services and Sepa took place this morning to receive an update on preparations. We are confident appropriate planning and resources are in place.
“However, we would advise the travelling public and motorists to take extra care in areas that are still expected to experience heavy surface water, downpours and potentially difficult driving conditions. The Traffic Scotland control centre continues to monitor the travel situation very closely and liaise with key partners including ScotRail, Network Rail and operating companies.”
MeteoGroup said that the wet summer was caused by strong atmospheric winds blowing storms over the Atlantic towards the British Isles.
Leon Brown, meteorologist for the Weather Channel, has warned that after the wettest June on record, the bad weather could continue for several more weeks.
Meanwhile, government advisers claim around 610,000 properties would be at risk by 2035 if better planning and more investment is not made in flood defences.
John Krebs, chairman of the climate change advisory panel, said: “We must take adaptation more seriously if we are to manage the growing risks of floods and droughts. This can be done by investing more in flood defences and faster roll-out of water meters.”
Scotland’s weather: Rare fiery ball will be seen in Scottish skies
Householders and motorists were bracing themselves for more miserable weather and were told to beware of localised downpours, but the country’s flood alert was finally downgraded late on Wednesday.
Almost 40mm of rain – nearly half the Scottish average for July – fell over Central Scotland during a 36-hour period between Tuesday and Wednesday. While the Met Office reduced amber “be prepared” warnings to yellow “be aware” status, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency said the threat of flooding was still real, particularly on already sodden, low-lying land.
Met Office forecaster Helen Chivers said: “There has been more heavy rainfall today, particularly in southern and eastern areas.
“But that is beginning to fade away, heralding some fairly decent weather for Scotland compared to earlier this week.
“The eastern side will be cloudy with some light showers, while the west will be dry with temperatures possibly reaching 19C in Glasgow.”
The risk of localised flooding remained on Wednesday in parts of Edinburgh and the Lothians, as well as the Borders.
Yellow alerts also covered Strathclyde, Central Scotland, Tayside and Fife.
In Glasgow, Hawthorn Street was closed for a period due to flooding under the railway bridge near Carlisle Street. Sandbags were also handed out in parts of Edinburgh, including Stockbridge which had suffered chaos last weekend after heavy rain left streets under 2 ft of water.
The Scottish Government welcomed the downgrading of the flood alert, but warned people to take care.
A spokesman said: “While this is encouraging news, we are not complacent.
“A meeting of the Scottish Government’s resilience team involving representatives from Transport Scotland, the Met Office, emergency services and Sepa took place this morning to receive an update on preparations. We are confident appropriate planning and resources are in place.
“However, we would advise the travelling public and motorists to take extra care in areas that are still expected to experience heavy surface water, downpours and potentially difficult driving conditions. The Traffic Scotland control centre continues to monitor the travel situation very closely and liaise with key partners including ScotRail, Network Rail and operating companies.”
MeteoGroup said that the wet summer was caused by strong atmospheric winds blowing storms over the Atlantic towards the British Isles.
Leon Brown, meteorologist for the Weather Channel, has warned that after the wettest June on record, the bad weather could continue for several more weeks.
Meanwhile, government advisers claim around 610,000 properties would be at risk by 2035 if better planning and more investment is not made in flood defences.
John Krebs, chairman of the climate change advisory panel, said: “We must take adaptation more seriously if we are to manage the growing risks of floods and droughts. This can be done by investing more in flood defences and faster roll-out of water meters.”
Golfers ready to brave Scotland
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"Frankenstein" Mummies In Scotland
Thanks JP for the news tip!
Two mummies were found in a bog in Scotland that are a mix-match of several human remains. That’s right, the two 3,000-year-old mummies that were unearthed contain various body parts from several individuals.
I know what you’re thinking: Frankenstein’s monster is real?
No, nothing like that. In actuality, the mummies and their “spare parts” are separated by hundreds of years. Leading researchers to conclude that “Maybe the head dropped off and they got another head to stick on.”
Full story: NatGeo
In a “eureka” moment worthy of Dr. Frankenstein, scientists have discovered that two 3,000-year-old Scottish “bog bodies” are actually made from the remains of six people.
According to new isotopic dating and DNA experiments, the mummies—a male and a female—were assembled from various body parts, although the purpose of the gruesome composites is likely lost to history.
The mummies were discovered more than a decade ago below the remnants of 11th-century houses at Cladh Hallan, a prehistoric village on the island of South Uist (map), off the coast of Scotland.
The bodies had been buried in the fetal position 300 to 600 years after death.
Based on the condition and structures of the skeletons, scientists had previously determined that the bodies had been placed in a peat bog just long enough to preserve them and then removed. The skeletons were then reburied hundreds of years later.
Terry Brown, a professor of biomedical archaeology at the University of Manchester, said there were clues that these bog bodies were more than they seemed.
On the female skeleton, “the jaw didn’t fit into the rest of the skull,” he said. “So Mike [Parker Pearson, of Sheffield University] came and said, Could we try to work it out through DNA testing?”
Brown sampled DNA from the female skeleton’s jawbone, skull, arm, and leg. The results show that bones came from different people, none of whom even shared the same mother, he said.
The female is made from body parts that date to around the same time period. But isotopic dating showed that the male mummy is made from people who died a few hundred years apart.