There’s a book written by the American historian Arthur Herman, with a title many Scottish nationalists would die for: The Scottish Enlightenment – The Scots’ Invention of the Modern World. In the text, Herman draws particular attention to what he says was Scotland’s key role in the development of American values, education and the...
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BBC News
BBC News
The Scottish Cringe Factor
Who Deserves to Get a Slice of Bbc’s Action?
Every end to the silly season needs an exceptionally silly idea to polish it off. So why, as newspapers shed staff by the thousand and editions by the dozen, shouldn’t public-service print journalism be given specific subsidies and grants for investigations and community reporting? Why shouldn’t somebody else pick up the tab for those...
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All News Isn’t Bad News
You may, perhaps, have caught John Humphrys the other day as he savaged the latest Whitehall rain god. You will thus have heard him volubly alarmed at the prospect and threat of summer standpipes in the “cities of Britain”. But did you pause, look at a map of the south-east, and wonder: which cities?...
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UK Dismisses Iraq’s Nerve Gas Move
The government today dismissed Iraq’s submission to UN weapons inspectors that it had destroyed its stocks of VX nerve agent 12 years ago.
The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, and the Labour party chairman, John Reid, both cast doubt on Baghdad’s 25-page report, delivered to Has Blix earlier today.
Mr Straw told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:...
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That try: Bob Irvine’s version for BBC radio listeners
From 12 yards outside the New Zealand 25, we’re going to watch as John Pullin, the England captain and Barbarian hooker today, prepares to throw the ball in. The mark of the game has already been set right at the start. This one’s going to be a runner and we’re going to have the...
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UK Could Send Troops to Sudan ‘quickly’
Britain could send 5,000 troops to Sudan very quickly if the government decides to intervene in the humanitarian crisis, the head of the army said yesterday.
“If need be we will be able to go to Sudan,” General Sir Mike Jackson, the chief of general staff, told BBC News 24’s Hardtalk programme. “I suspect we...
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Footage of captives puts news channels under pressure from Pentagon
As Arab television stations replayed pictures of bewildered and disoriented US prisoners of war on an endless loop, western broadcasters acceded to Pentagon requests to hold back until relatives of the soldiers had been informed.
Al-Jazeera, the Arab channel that has become the curse of US military media managers, showed the footage as soon...
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‘Cup Final? Abide With Me? Not Any More, Mate’
Sofa spuds do not have to crank up the volume on their zappers to hear the earth moving. It is obvious some seismic rumblings are undermining hitherto accepted habits and perceptions in the world of sports broadcasting.
As one section of the nation keenly anticipates Channel 4’s transmission of the opening overs of cricket’s first...
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Major Parties Condemn Bnp After Election Success
Britain’s mainstream politicians united in condemnation of the BNP after the party won two seats in the European parliament.
David Cameron, the Conservative leader, said the result was “desperately depressing” and the main parties had to win back those who had voted for the far-right party.
“What the mainstream parties have to do is prove their...
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Phillips Wins Sports Personality Award.
Zara Phillips was last night named BBC Sports Personality of the Year 35 years after her mother, the Princess Royal, won the same prize. The pair became the first members of the same family to win the annual prize after the 25-year-old was rewarded for her gold medal-winning performance in the three-day event at...
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