Daily Mail (London) articles from December 11 2008

Daily Mail (London) archives from December 11 2008

Defence,Minister? (1) Surrounded: Eamon O'Culv restrains a student at NUI Galway (2) Combetitive Eamon de Valeria.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Klara Kubiak HE BEARS a striking resemblance to-his-grandfather,Eamon de Valera...and now Minister amon O Cuiv has shown he is just as quick to stand his ground under fire. While the first taoiseach-held the line against...

Diamonds ?18m price sets record.
December 11, 2008... A HUGE diamond sold for a world record ?18.6million yesterday ina dramatic auction.The sky-blue Wittelsbachd i a-mond- which became the most expensive diamond or piece of jewellery ever sold at auction was snapped up by British jeweller...

Granny had ?40,000 of stolen gear.
December 11, 2008... A GRANDMOTHER stored ?40,000 of stolen fashion and beauty goods for criminals in her home, a court has heard. Martina ONeill had befriended a drug-addicted single mother and had bought the goods from her temporarily in order to give her...

?15,000 for not wanting to work at Christmas.
December 11, 2008... A NURSING home carer has won ?15,000 compensation after she was fired for not working at Christmas. Hannah Ryan, who claimed unfair dismissal by Seamus Carew and the Millbrea Lodge Nursing home in Newport, Co. Tipperary, told the...

Ram-raiders escape with ATM machine; Abandoned: The Gang's stolen 4x4 in wreckage of the shop.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Dara deFaoite RAIDERS made off with an ATM bank machineafter smashinga 4x4 vehicle through the shuttersofa fillingstation and post office early yesterdaymorning.It is the fourth raid in the area in the past two weeks. The gang...

Thatll teach you to mess with our gang! (1) They shall not pass: Four Cape squirrels in menacing pose (2) Reserviour squirrels: Fur flies as battle rages pictures: DAVID SLATER/NHPA.
December 11, 2008... THEIR mean and moody expressions suggest: Go on, punk, make my day. And when any rival is foolish enough to stray on to their territory, the result is terrifying. In scenes more l iKe a violent Quentin Tarantino movie than a wildlife...

Hospitals fear suicides will soar in recession.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Petrina Vousden EXTRA hospital beds are needed to cope with the number of suicidalpeople attending emergency departments as-a result of the recession,says a leading consultant psychiatrist. Professor Patricia Casey revealed...

Seamstress stitches up four thugs who raided her shop; (1) Desperate: Window used in escape (2) Brave Tracey Gaynor chased off Three thieves and Locked in a fourth.
December 11, 2008... WHEN seamstress Tracey Gaynor was confronted by four youths robbing her till she didnt wait for the gardai to arrive. Instead the 26-year-old scared off three of them and then lockedthe fourth in her first-floor clothingalterationsshop. ...

French fencer is tipped for Olympic glory with Ireland; On point of greatness Ulysse Coneys is highly ranked.
December 11, 2008... Byline: David Barnes A TEENAGE fencing prodigy from France is dreamingofglory in the next Olympics&for Ireland.Ulysse Coneys, just turned 15, was totally unknown to Irish fencing officials until recently.But he could turn out to be a...

PIRATE HUNTER.
December 11, 2008... Byline: ANDREW ROBERTS DESPITE the calm sea, the chase was on. Sand was thrown across the decks to stop them becomingslipperywith blood, and the men set up nets under the masts in case rigging came tumblingdown, shot off by cannonfire....

Golden goodbyes-may cost taxpayers over ?10m.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Gordon Deegan COUNCILLORS who fail to get re-elected in next years local elections are due to share a pay-off that could top ?10million, under the Governmentslatest scrappage scheme.The countrys-cash-strapped 34county and city...

Watchdogs okay for 40pc ESB bill raise; Revelations: Pedraig McManus.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Aiden Corkery ELECTRICITY bills could have rocketed by as much as 40 per cent this year with the blessing of the States own energy watchdog, the Dail heard yesterday. ESB boss Padraig McManus said the Commission for Energy...

Brads the Pitts for keeping mum.
December 11, 2008... Byline: MARY CARR FURIOUSLY promoting his new movie, Brad Pitt is having difficulty keeping to his recent promise about never cheapening his children by talking about them in public. The proud father couldnt stop himself telling the...

TROUBLE KIDS NEEDS BAD LADS LIKE AIDAN, NOT DO- GOODERS; Aiden O'Kane another victim of a senseless gun crime.
December 11, 2008... Byline: MARY CARR AIDAN OKANE had only been living in the East Wall for ten months but he had made his mark. Fifty years of age, and running a small mechanics business from the garage of his rented house, he had taken some of the local...

I weep for this devoted mother. For I, too, know the agony of watchinga daughterendure a living death from ME; (1) Loving: Kay Gilderdale(Left) Nursed her daughter Lynn for 17 years (2) Recovery: Esther and Emily.
December 11, 2008... Byline: ESTHER RANTZEN KAYGILDERDALE has lived for 17 years in a hell I understand only too well. Her daughter Lynn had been suffering from ME in its most severe form unable to walk, talk, swallow food or hold up her head. Throughout...

An example to us all.
December 11, 2008... SEAMSTRESS Tracy Gaynor certainly isnt afraid to have a go. The courageous 26-year-old is an example to all of us. The hapless thief who had to jump 15 feet from an upstairs window after Tracy locked him into her first floor alterations shop...

No dignity,just neck.
December 11, 2008... JUDGE Michael White quite rightly told Cllr Michael The Stroke Fahy that he should act with dignityand resign his seat on Galway County Council.Nobody convicted of fraud should hold public office; as Judge White also pointed out, this sort of...

Digging deeper into a needlesscrisis.
December 11, 2008... SO WAS it all much ado about nothing?Itwas certainlystartingtolook that way last night. The EuropeanFood Safety Authoritys findingsare remarkably unambiguous:even at the highest recorded level of dioxin contamination,Irish pork products never...

COWEN PRESSED THE NUCLEAR BUTTON WITHOUT THINKING.
December 11, 2008... THEannouncement by-t h e European Food Safety Authority that human consumption of-Irish pig meat over the past three months posed minimal isthealth risks raises the most serious questions about the Governments handling of-this food crisis. ...

Happy New Year? Just wait a sec...
December 11, 2008... WITH the economics lowdown,2008 may feel as if it will never end. Now the worlds timekeepers are making it even longer by adding a leap second to the last day. Along with the economy,the Earth is slowing down due to the tug of the Sun and...

Its official, living with your family can kill you.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Fay Schlesinger IT probably makes your blood boil just to think about it. But it turns out that living with her mother-in-law really can be bad for a womans health. Scientistssay women are up to three times more likely to...

Quit now with honour judge tells Stroke Fahy; Greed: but Fahy plans an Appeal.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Ann Healy SHAMED Galway county councillor Michael Stroke Fahy was yesterday found guilty of fraud and was told to act with honour and resign his seat. Judge Michael White called on Fahy to quit following his conviction bya...

Get out your cameras lads, here comes the Black Widow; Crowning glory Catherine Nevin after yesterday's court appearance.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Alan Sherry WE knew that Catherine Nevin was about to walk into Dublin District Court Number 44 yesterday when an excited onlooker shouted: Get out your cameras, lads. Stepping from the holding cells into an imaginary...

I'D TAKE Evelyn's place if I could . I will never get over this tradgedy; (1) Candelit vigil: Some 50 people who gathered to protest outside the Dahl Last night, A Similar number to the street's of Cork (2) Close family: Evelyn Cotter with her mother Geraldine and sister Pamela (3) Mother Geraldine 'You must Learn to cope.
December 11, 2008... Byline: PETRINA VOUSDEN A HEARTBROKEN mother told last night how she watched helplessly as her daughter died from cervical cancer at the age of just 26. Geraldine Murphy spoke at a candlelit vigil in Cork organised to urge Mary Harney...

Medical card limits to berushed through Dail.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Niamh Lyons HEALTH MinisterMary Harney was urged yesterday not to continue with her plan to end the medical card entitlement for those over 70, as the Government prepared to rush the legislation through the Oireachtas by Friday....

Beware Jose; Maloney: Celtic scorer.
December 11, 2008... Byline: LEO SPALL SIR ALEX FERGUSON could face a last-16 meeting with Jose Mourinho after Manchester United won Champions League group E last night and Wayne Rooneys aggressive approach boiled over. The striker appeared to stamp on...

Familys farewell to tragic mother-of-five; Julie O'Keefe-Donohoe.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Eva Marie Gibney THE devastated family of pregnant mother-of-five Julie OKeeffe-Donohue will tomorrow say their final farewell to her. The 38-year-old died on Monday evening when the car she was in struck a ditch and then...

Why Miriam wont wear a posh frock; Practical: Miriam O' Callaghan.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Lynne Kelleher MIRIAM OCallaghan has revealed why despite her obvious delight in glamour she stays clear of designer clothes. Its not because the Prime Time presenter is miserly, but shes afraid her two-year-old would puke all...

Wehave failed to tackle rise of gun culture; Failed Mr Flannagan wants action.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Niamh Lyons LAWMAKERS must tackle Ire-lands UK-style gun culturebefore more victims like Aiden OKane are murdered,the Dail was told yesterday. Fine Gael justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan yesterday accused Justice Minister...

Britain's most UNLIKELY sex symbols.
December 11, 2008... Byline: MAUREEN RICE BORIS JOHNSON Even the most hard-core Left-wingers say he's the only Tory they'd ever consider snogging. Funny, and very much his own unspun self-despite being a politician. Also has that man/boy combination a lot of...

HE HAD BEEN AN ADDICT, BUT HE WASNT INTO IT ANY MORE; Childhood friend: Tommy Kelly.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Sandra Murphy, Alan Sherry FRIENDS of murder victim Aidan OKane yesterday confirmed the dead man had a record for drug crime. A childhood friend also revealed that the 50-year-old was a recovering heroin addict. The...

Youth, 16, is charged with murder of Aidan OKane HEHAD BEEN AN ADDICT, BUT HE WASNT INTO IT ANY MORE; (1) Gunned down Aidan O'kane who was shot dead on Sunday (2) Remanded: The youth circled is driven away by Gardai yesterday.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Sandra Murphy, Alan Sherry A BOY of just 16 appearedincourt yesterdayaccused of the murder of father-of-one Aidan OKane. The youth, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, was one of seven teenagers arrested after the...

CELEBRITY STYLE WATCH; Square oversized sunglasses, Oliver Peoples ?235 Navy cashmere polo-neck sweater, Anya Hindmarch ?320 Tan leather and corduroy Perry bag, Anya Hindmarch ?715 Navy skinny denim jeans, Earnest Sewn ?250 Nude leather flat pumps, Marni ?250.
December 11, 2008... Byline: CAMILLA RIDLEY-DAY LOOKING every inch the glamorous mother, Claudia Schiffer steps out to pick up her children from school in a simple yet smart look for the playground. Her navy cashmere polo-neck jumper has been transformed...

JAMES LEGACY OF FEAR; (1) Haunting image: James is led away (2) A life cut short: James and Denise on a family holiday. Inset, Denise as she is toda.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Helen Weathers JAMES LEGACY OF FEAR She wont let them walk to school, use public transport or play in the garden where she cant see them. Sixteen years after James Bulgers horrific killing, his mother reveals how obsessively...

Oh Anthea, darling, are you completely round the U-bend?
December 11, 2008... Byline: JAN MOIR As Anthea Turners gilded lifestyle falls victim to the credit crunch, A-list interviewer JAN MOIR gives a waspish insight into the bizarre world of her dear friend and asks...Oh Anthea, darling, are you completely round...

Slinky and sexy.
December 11, 2008... Slinky and sexy Black cotton mix dress with feather, ?140, Mango, Arnotts, Dublin 1. Plum patent leather heels, ?510, Christian Louboutin, Brown Thomas. Black opaque tights, ?11.95, Trasparenze, www.mytights.com. Jewel necklace, ?515;...

WE HAVE FOUND SWEETS STILL IN WRAPPERS IN MILLSTREAM'S FEED'; Man Behind crisis : Mr Hogg.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Galen English FARMERS had serious concerns about the quality of feed being made by Millstream Recycling in t he summer when batches of biscuit meal were found to contain clumps of Murray Mints and chocolate bars still in their...

AT LAST, HOW TO GET RID OF THE FOUL FOOD MOUNTAIN; Good food: Fresh meat at Hanley's Mitchelstown.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Aiden Corkery THOUSANDS of retailers, processors and consumers were finally given advice last night on how to dispose contaminated pork products five days after the crisis broke. Wholesalers and meat processors are being asked...

Judge throws out HBOS rescue bid.
December 11, 2008... Byline: John Robertson A LAST-DITCH legal bid to prevent the takeover of Scotland's oldest bank was thrown out last night. But the group of Scots business leaders behind the action refused to rule out further moves against the UK...

Irelands tall storeys; Pride: Corks Elysian (with giant Munster jersey), left, and ESB chimneys at Poolbeg and Moneypoint, inset.
December 11, 2008... Byline: CHARLES LEGGE QUESTION What is the tallest structure in Ireland? NOT a building as such, our tallest structure is a radio transmission mast at Strabane, Co. Tyrone, which rises a whopping 305.5 metres into the sky. By...

Straight to the POINT.
December 11, 2008... Straight to the POINT * ITS wonderful to see that the word feck has now officially been deemed inoffensive by British authorities. They were feckin eejits to think otherwise for so long! MICHEAL O hAILPIN, Salthill, Galway. *...

TREATMENT OF THE WEEK.
December 11, 2008... CHRISTMAS PAMPER PACKAGES A GIRL wants to have that lovely festive glow come Christmas day, but weeks of shopping stress beforehand dont leave too much me-time to get in shape. For a last minute fix,choose one of the great Christmas packages...

Race against time to Save Livelihoods - save livelihoods.
December 11, 2008... TIME is running out for cash-strapped farmers like John Fives from Cappoquin. They need to get their pork back on shelves within days if they are to make any money this Christmas. As each day passes without a resolutionintough talks to...

THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PI**ED; No thanks for the memories: Tom Sykes Christmasses as a drinker were marked by excess, like the film Bad Santa.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Tom Sykes THE Christmas party season is in full swing, and, according to a recently published survey, many employees will find themselves waking up with a crushing sense of embarrassment to complement their sore head the morning...

Cut that put me above the rest; The tress factor: Reader Zoe Hitchcock says that the cropped look immediately brought romance to her life.
December 11, 2008... DOES having her hair cut short mean a woman has gone off sex? (Mail). Definitely not in my case. Once I was probably the biggest critic of such a gamine crop, but I finally lost patience with my dull, lifeless, long locks and went for the...

McGinleys Macreddin is perfect location for Mail finals; Magic moment: Paul McGinley celebrates after his putt on the 18th green wins the Ryder Cup for Europe at The Belfry in 2002. McGinley has created a challenging championship course at Macreddin Village (left) -.
December 11, 2008... IRISH golfers are gearing up for the new Mail All-Ireland Fourball Trophy which has just been launched. The finals will be played at the spectacular Macreddin course, designed by Ryder Cup hero Paul McGinley, and this championship is being...

PORK WAS SAFE ALL ALONG SAYS EUROPE; (1)Seat of his pants: Minister Smith (2) Help us : Pig Farmer Edel Devane from Clonoulty.Co Tipperary, Protests in Dublin yesterday.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Aiden Corkery THE way was cleared for Irish pork to return to the shelves last night after the Department of Agriculture called an end to its five-day recall of pork. The move comes after food safety experts in Europe have said...

CRITICS CHOICE.
December 11, 2008... CRITICS CHOICE FILM: TERMINATOR 3, 9pm, RT Two LIKE Terminator 2, this is an effects-led blockbuster which boasts some spectacular stunts including a crane-and-motorbike chase and a surprisingly downbeat final twist. The repetitive...

PAVIN TIPPED TO LEAD U.S. AT CELTIC MANOR; Pavin: Major winner.
December 11, 2008... Byline: GRAHAM OTWAY THE formidable task of following Paul Azinger as American Ryder Cup captain for the match in Wales in two years time is expected to be handed to Corey Pavin today. Azinger had wanted the opportunity to repeat his...

New Limerick track.
December 11, 2008... WORK is to begin on the building of a new greyhound stadium in Limerick next March, creating 250 construction jobs. A tender for the main building contract will be published by the Irish Greyhound Board on January 16. Adrian Nealon,...

EU tackles retailers.
December 11, 2008... EU regulators have pledged to crack down on uncompetitive practices in the food retail sector, aiming to smooth wrinkles in the food supply chain and shield it from price volatility. It warned that the size and number of buying alliances in...

ESB prices to drop.
December 11, 2008... CONSUMERS are likely to see lower energy bills next year, according to the chief executive of the ESB. Padraig McManus told a Dail committee yesterday that falls in the worldwide price of oil and other fuels should lead to prices coming...

Brokers shakeup.
December 11, 2008... A BIG shake-up in the way insurance and mortgage brokers treat their customers has been recommended by the Financial Regulator. The watchdog wants rules setting out when brokers can use terms such as independent or qualified financial...

Rip-off of freight firms fuel charges.
December 11, 2008... INTERNATIONAL freight companies are ripping off Irish businesses through exorbitant fuel surcharges, according to a small firms lobby group. ISME has called on international freight carriers to stop profiteering and drop their unwarranted...

U.S. ties can speed Irelands recovery.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Joe Downes IRELAND needs to strengthen ties with the U.S. to speed our economic recovery, according to a leading business figure. The U.S. is our most important trading partner outside the EU, IBECs Turlough OSullivan said...

CALZAGHE FEARS FOR HIS DYING SPORT BOXING; Calzaghe: likely to retire next year.
December 11, 2008... Byline: IVAN SPECK JOE CALZAGHE has branded boxing a dying sport and is glad he is close to ending his career rather than just starting out. The 36-year-old two-weight world champion will decide in the new year whether to continue fighting...

ISEQs two-day rally stalls on profit-taking.
December 11, 2008... THE Dublin market fell yesterday, ending a two-day rally and underper-forming a positive trend on other world markets, as investors took profits. European shares rose 0.2pc in a choppy session, with Japans Nikkei managing a more...

Five of the best PARTY dresses.
December 11, 2008... MOST SOPHISTICATED Teal shimmery dress, Dorothy Perkins, ?40 WEAR this over a petticoat as it is not lined nobody would ever guess the price. A classy dress in a vibrant peacock blue, with a beautiful pleated neckline. Wear with your highest...

I wont be gagged! You can write it if you like: outspoken Conor Mortimer has upset the Mayo county board.
December 11, 2008... Byline: MICHEAL CLIFFORD MAYO football star Conor Mortimer vowed yesterday that he will not be gagged despite high-level criticism for headlines that the scoring ace generated earlier this year. Last week Mayo county board secretary...

Naomi crosses Dublin but she doesnt go fur; (1) Yech,right: Confronted outside the Westbury Hotel, Naomi smiles (2) wrapped up:The model arrives earlier (3) Off to address the Philosphers: Naomi is furless in Dublin.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Barry Hartigan WHEN supermodel Naomi Campbell arrived in Dublin yesterday she was dressed for our weather complete with woolly hat and fur coat. She likes fur coats, and the weather didnt get any warmer, but by the time she...

DEVANNEY: COLLEGE CUP DATES IMMOVABLE; Winner: UUJ captain Peter Donnelly lifts the Sigerson Cup last year.
December 11, 2008... Byline: MICHEAL CLIFFORD HIGHER education GAA chief Jack Devanney has ruled out a calendar change for the Fitzgibbon and Sigerson cups. The decision to play the higher education championships at all levels in early spring has been the...

AND STERLING CRASHES.
December 11, 2008... IRISH business is facing a crisis after sterling hit a new high against the euro. The British pound was worth around ?1.13 yesterday, equal to almost 88p per euro, making Irish exports in Britain costlierand in turn ensuringimports from...

CANNING: WE WONT BE CHAMPIONS OVERNIGHT; Canning: welcomes switch to Leinster.
December 11, 2008... Byline: MICHEAL CLIFFORD PLAYING in Leinster will not provide a quick fix for Galways hurling ills. That was the warning yesterday from the countys superstar, Joe Canning, who said that people had to realise that there was no fast track to...

TALK OF THE TOWN; Gallery: Sebastian Guinness That I might touch that cheek: Writer Victoria Mary Clarke.
December 11, 2008... LADIES, kindly control yourselves: we can now reveal the answer to a question that has no doubt perplexed many of you for years. Whos skin is softer Gerry Ryans or Shane McGowans? (it really is the stuff of fantasies). In the end, The...

Anglo Irish stock hits an all-time low.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Gayle Schoales ANGLO-IRISH Banks downward spiral continued last night as its share price tumbled 14 per cent to a bargain basementlow of just under 37 cent on the Irish Stock Exchange.At-one stage yesterday shares in the...

A big week for ... clubs in Munster.
December 11, 2008... Byline: ADAM REDMOND Why? A quick look at the top of the Division One table tells the story as Leinster sides make up the top three and, as things stand, only one Munster club would make it into the semis compared to last seasons three....

From Auckland to Cork via half the world, now jet-setter Sifa is flying with the Eagles; Ocean hopper: U.S. international centre Junior Sifa takes a break at Midletons new gym at New Towns.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Adam Redmond THE AIB League is no stranger to international players. In its 1990s heyday it was the basis for national selection, in latter years it has seen Test veterans retire to their clubs and, even more recently, it has...

Between the posts; Pienaar: signed autographs.
December 11, 2008... Byline: ADAM REDMOND GOOD WEEK Limericks Susan Carty, 31, has been made the IRBs first womens development manager a great boost for the womens game in Ireland and an acknowledgement of its growth worldwide. IRB chairman Bernard...

Banned, the drink driver shopped by her mother; Off the road: Katie Farrimond and her mother, Helen, leave court.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Gordon Currie A MOTHER reported her own daughter to police when she got behind the wheel of a car after downing ten glasses of wine, a court heard yesterday. Helen Farrimond alerted the authorities after discovering that...

Here to stay; Hoop dreams: Aiden McGeady is congratulated on his wonder strike.
December 11, 2008... Byline: MARK WILSON GORDON STRACHAN watched Celtic recapture European pride by sweeping aside 10-man Villarreal last night before signalling he was determined to stick around for another crack at the Champions League. Goals from Shaun...

I'm still game despite this course being hot to handle; In the swing of it: Callum Macaulay prepares for his first tournament as a professional.
December 11, 2008... Byline: CALLUM MACAULAY SCOTTISH Amateur champion Callum Macaulay makes his professional bow today at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa. In the second of a series of exclusive diary extracts, he tells Sportsmail readers how...

THE BIG FREEZE.
December 11, 2008... FALKIRK striker Carl Finnigan has bemoaned his latest dose of illfortune after his scheduled return against Motherwell reserves yesterday was frozen off. Finnigan, out for five months with a viral infection, said: 'I was due to play for the...

THE BIG FREEZE.
December 11, 2008... STRANRAER last night moved to avert the nightmare scenario of playing three games in five days after their rearranged Scottish Cup third-round tie at Forfar Athletic was postponed for a fourth time. They are now due to play Brechin away in the...

THE BIG FREEZE.
December 11, 2008... MORTON and Partick Thistle will play their rearranged league fixture on a midweek afternoon despite opposition from the Firhill club. The pair will meet on Tuesday, December 30 with a 3pm kick-off after league officials ordered them to play...

THE BIG FREEZE.
December 11, 2008... VALE OF LEITHEN have been warned not to pull out of tonight's Scottish Cup thirdround clash with Inverurie Locos, despite facing a player crisis ahead of their fourth attempt to play the match. Several players, including captain Campbell...

Livid Livvy on the warpath after 'inept' ref's call-off; Bone of contention: referee Murray said Almondvale was unplayable.
December 11, 2008... Byline: STEPHEN McGOWAN CASH-STRAPPED Livingston launched a furious verbal attack on referee Calum Murray following the postponement of last night's rearranged clash with Dundee. The West Lothian club insist their Almondvale pitch was...

ROBINSON WAITING FOR THE RIGHT SIGNS; Player hunt: Robinson.
December 11, 2008... Byline: ROB ROBERTSON ANDY ROBINSON will not rush into signing a top-name foreign import, despite money being available to strengthen his underachieving Edinburgh team. Robinson confirmed the SRU had released cash to buy a big name but...

Warrior Max has a thirst for Magners title glory; I belong to Glasgow: Evans has signed on for another two seasons with the Warriors, as Sportsmail exclusively revealed yesterday (below).
December 11, 2008... Byline: ROB ROBERTSON MAX EVANS last night insisted that Glasgow Warriors can write themselves into the history books by becoming the first Scottish club to win the Magners League. As he agreed a new extended contract with the club...

Boy saves pal's life day after first aid lesson; Quick-thinking: Ross Riddock, left, saved Grant Monteath's life.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Jenny Morrison A SCHOOLBOY saved his friend's life by using first aid skills he had learned only 24 hours earlier. Grant Monteath almost died when he was hit on the back of the head by a snowball. The teenager smashed his...

Jail for solicitor who embezzled [pounds sterling]130,000; Embezzlement: Valerie Macadam.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Kirsty Urquhart A SOLICITOR who embezzled [pounds sterling]130,000 from her clients has been jailed for three years and told she committed 'one of the most serious breaches of trust'. Valerie Macadam, 52, took thousands of...

TWO 5-STAR BREAKS IN EDINBURGH TO BE WON; Luxurious: Visit Edinburgh, left, and stay at The Knight Residence, right.
December 11, 2008... WIN a fabulous city break in cosmopolitan Edinburgh and explore the breathtaking sights of Scotland's vibrant capital city. That's the prize on offer in our superb competition in collaboration with The Knight Residence serviced apartments....

FOOTBALL EXTRA.
December 11, 2008... FORMER Hearts caretaker manager Stevie Frail is back in football. He has replaced new Dundee boss Jocky Scott as the SFA's youth initiative co-ordinator..

FOOTBALL EXTRA.
December 11, 2008... RORY DELAP'S long throws may be cut short by an arm injury. The Stoke City midfielder is having pain-killing injections and is wearing a sling in a race to be fit for Saturday's Premiership game with Fulham..

FOOTBALL EXTRA.
December 11, 2008... ACCIES forward Richard Offiong has signed a new contract 72 hours after becoming a father for the first time. The Englishman has committed his future at New Douglas Park until the summer of 2010..