News.Scotland.Org

Edinburgh, Sept.22: Charities faced a huge setback after the city council’s move to cut the grants assured to them early this year. They are planning to sue the council as a protest against the move. Charities under the purview of the council fear that the reduction in the grant will be a hurdle in their path of service and some charities will be closed as the outcome of this.

The new budget in this regard was given sanction yesterday by the councillors. The approval of this budget was against the pleas of the voluntary sectors. The education leader of the city, Councillor Marilyne Mac Laren registered her disappointment over this decision.

While responding to this decision Ian Boardman, member of the Edinburgh Network of Voluntary Organizations for Children, Young People and Families, said: “The Community groups are taking legal advice to see if there is any legal proceedings to help their way out of this”.

He further added that “Individual organizations should have to make the decisions themselves, but some are considering legal action. They are trying to clarify whether the funding agreement signed between themselves and the council is of a contractual nature”.

Meanwhile several organizations made heart-felt pleas to the council on behalf of their groups, many of which serve the most vulnerable members of society. Christine Richards, of Smile Childcare, based in Wester Hailes, added: “We are being cut so close to the bone that it may result in a situation where the company is trading as insolvent. We may have to close down.”

While reacting to these mixed responses of the charities, Councillor Ewan Aitken, the city’s Labour leader, claimed the cuts were “undermining years of work building positive relations with the voluntary sector, that at this moment are shattered. They’ve been reduced to asking for legal advice - that can’t be good for us as a city.”

Councillor Jeremy Balfour, the city’s Tory education spokesman, said: “The trust factor has gone. In future are we going to hold our hands up [when handing out grants] and say we can’t guarantee we will provide, for example, money for this service for the homeless”.

The decision to slash the grant in total humiliated the Charity organizations to a greater extend. While the council is considering this as a codifying attempt.

It is feared that ‘Bluetongue’ a dreadful livestock virus is all set to enter Scotland by next year. Reports suggest that this disease was first found in a highland cow at a Suffolk farm in Britain. The virus is spread by insect and results fatal for the livestock.

While the government is cautious about the outbreak of this disease, UK Agriculture Minister, Lord Rooker in a meeting says, the disease could arrive on the British shores, there is nothing to panic, and “We have been expecting it because of what’s happened in Europe in the last couple of years. It isn’t a surprise,” he said.

Another reason why the arrival of this disease is considered threatening is due to its effect on the red meat industry. It is learnt that Scotland has a vast red meat industry, which is worth £1.5 billion per year. And if this disease will hit Scotland, then it will have an adverse effect on the growing market too.

There are assumptions that the disease is due to the result of global warming, it has been noted that bluetongue is spreading across north since Oct 1998, and since then around 3000 cases have been reported in Europe. Jim McLaren, the president of the National Farmers Union Scotland, said this dark cloud of bluetongue was hovering all round the summer from the shore of Europe. Borne by midges and this animal in England points that the disease had landed here.

After the information about the discovery of this disease in a nearby farm, all tests are going on to check whether any more fresh cases are reported. Even The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs informed that the first case can not be considered to be the outbreak of bluetongue, and its too early to say that it’s a wide spread.

The government tough has taken this matter seriously and is monitoring the situation so that in adversity they can fight out the disease. So government has kept there fingers crossed and are monitoring all small moments in this matter.

What is Bluetongue?

Bluetongue disease also known as ‘catarrhal’ fever is a insect-borne viral disease which effects sheep and other livestock’s. The disease is caused by a virus called bluetongue, it does not transmit to humans.

Edinburgh, Sept.24: On Sunday the Murrayfield stadium witnessed the third round pool match of Rugby World cup 2007 between Scotland and New Zealand. The All Black team thrashed the home team by scoring 40-0, with this victory the New Zealand team booked their berth in the World Cup quarter finals.

Some of the key players of the Scotland team were rested for the fourth round pool match against Italy, which is scheduled to be conducted on next weekend. The new caps included in the team failed to impress with their performance. This is the first time the New Zealand team keeping the opponent scoreless in a world cup.

The Scotland coach, Frank Hadden and the team members were not happy with the outcome of the game. The home team fails to make use of the territory advantage and the local ground support. The previous victory against Romania has raised the team spirit and the two consecutive win in the first two pool matches had worked as a morale booster of the team. But this crumbling victory has disappointed the fans to a greater extend.

The opposition team scored six tries, two by winger Doug Howlett and the Scots were blanked for the first time since March 2004, when France won 31-0 at Murrayfield. The All Blacks made too many passes forward and started to play an attacking game right from the beginning; the attempts made by the Scottish team to restrict the attack went in ruin. The New Zealand team captain Richie McCaw, Byron Kelleher, Ali Williams and Dan Carter scored the other tries, and Carter nailed only four of eight goal kicks, although the misses were from the touchline, one finds the post.

Right from the kick-off the Scotland team find difficult to break the defence wall of the opposition team. Scotland team has to stick to an effective strategy so as to regain its form in the next match against Italy.

Scotland, Sept.25: The 81 years old Delta Queen, a legendary paddle steamer built in Dumbarton is facing the threat of being off the river because of the strict safety laws. Considering the traditional link of this vessel support to save the ship from various quarters is gaining momentum.

Delta Queen has 60 years of glorious history, in her heyday, the vessel powered down the Mississippi with jazz bands playing and cheering the crowds who have gathered in the banks to admire the beauty of this vessel, overtaking her rival the Belle of Louisville in a race which thrilled the shipping community of the Grand Old South. She has carried presidents and princesses, seen wartime service and been hailed as the jewel of the Southern states of the US.

The 285ft vessel, built at William Denny & Brothers on the banks of the River Leven, could be scrapped after her licence was withdrawn. The steamer fell pray to the safety regulations requiring all boats carrying passengers overnight to be made primarily of steel. Previously, Delta Queen was granted an exemption after arguments that, as a riverboat, she was never more than a mile from shore, the consistent safety record, a 24-hour fireman on board and an extensive sprinkler system.

Earlier the Delta Queen begins its service as a packet boat, carrying mail, livestock and passengers. After undergoing refurbishment she began to offer luxury overnight travel between Sacramento and San Francisco.

The interior of the Delta queen boasts 88 state rooms, and fitted out with Tiffany-style stained-glass windows, brass fittings, hardwood panelling and the dramatic grand staircase crowned by a magnificent chandelier. She was considered as a prestigious symbol as she attracts wealthy passengers and gamblers who risked their fortune in the gaming room.

During the Second World War the Delta Queen was under the control of US Navy, used to carry the wounded took her over and, painted grey and under the designation “Yard Ferry Boat 56″, she was used to carry wounded soldiers in San Francisco Bay. After decommissioning in 1947, she travelled 5,000 miles through the Panama Canal up into the Mississippi, where she came to be regarded as the jewel of the south.Many high-profile guests including US presidents Harry Truman, Herbert Hoover and Jimmy Carter, as well as Princess Margaret and other celebrities have sailed on her.

She had overcome similar safety-based threats in the past to take her off the river, most notably in 1966 and 1970. On both occasions the public rallied round and in 1970 she was designated a national historic landmark. Considering all these history Scottish politicians joined a campaign to save her.

The campaign kicked off last month after the Majestic America Line, the vessel’s owners, announced she would cease operations permanently at the end of the 2008 season. Jackie Baillie, the Dumbarton MSP, has persuaded 15 MSPs to back her motion calling for the preservation of the vessel. “I want the American authorities to reconsider this threat to our joint heritage. They must find a way of preserving this Clyde-built vessel for future generations,” Ms Baillie said.

Graham Kennison, a trustee of the Scottish Maritime Museum, who is backing the campaign, said the Delta Queen represented a huge part of Dumbarton’s shipping heritage.
“There can’t have been a river in the world which did not have one of Denny’s shallow draft vessels and the Delta Queen symbolises something unique. After construction, the Delta Queen, which was built as one of a pair alongside the Delta King, was shipped in segments across the Atlantic accompanied by a team engineers from Scotland, providing a lasting emotional connection with Dumbarton.” He said.

Construction of the Delta Queen provided work for Hundreds of ship workers from Scotland participated in the construction work of the Delta Queen. They built the steel hull, engines and deck up to the second level. The wooden superstructure and further two decks were built in the US.

Singer Johnny Cash extended his support to the campaigners by penning a song on Delta Queen. He also performed on television before asking the audience to support the ‘Save the Delta Queen campaign’.