Spiralling fuel costs are on the brink of putting Scotland’s fishing boats out of business, skippers claimed last night.

Overseas Development Secretary Douglas Alexander sensationally disowned his own sister Scots Labour leader Wendy last night in the row over her call for an early referendum on independence.

Charges against an Aberdeen male stripper who poses as a policeman were dramatically dropped last night.

A MOTHER is pregnant with her 18th child.

Under fire Aberdeen City Council chief executive Douglas Paterson will face a public grilling at next week’s landmark hearing into the running of the local authority.

GOVERNMENT staff have been sending out highly-sensitive data in packages that include the passwords, it was revealed yesterday.

A woman was killed in a car accident in Perthshire last night.

A former pupil of a crisis-hit residential school in Aberdeen last night said she would be “locked up” if it was not for the care she received there.

The UN is preparing to send two planeloads of food and relief items to Burma today to provide aid in the aftermath of the cyclone that has killed tens of thousands.

The BBC failed to pay £106,000 to charity from phone votes in more than 20 programmes, including last year’s UK Eurovision final, it said yesterday.

The heartbroken mother of a 24-year-old Angus man killed in a motorcycle accident has paid tribute to her son, saying “he just loved life”.

Local Hero village Pennan came close to being evacuated for a second time in less than a year yesterday after a suspect metal object was discovered in the harbour.

A MEMORIAL plaque to wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill was unveiled at Dundee University yesterday by his daughter, Lady Mary Soames.

VISITORS to Stirling Castle this weekend will come face to face with some of the giants of Scottish history.

THE improvement of dental and oral health in children in Tayside was the subject of a conference held in Perth yesterday.

THE work of a Scone artist is back on home ground as part of a touring exhibition hosted by Perth Museum and Art Gallery.

A HIGHLAND lollipop man has come full circle – and ended up back at the school he went to as a boy.

PITLOCHRY High School pupils got on their bikes yesterday to tackle stages of the Etape Caledonia cycle route to raise money for charity.

A three-year-old boy who cannot walk, talk or eat unaided should soon be on his feet after a north-east community group stumped up the cash to pay for specialist equipment he needs to develop.

An Argyll community radio station has lost a major sponsor and an influential board member over a decision to allow a convicted sex offender to continue broadcasting.

AS HE PICKED his way through hordes of students sprawled out in front of Kings’s College, Old Aberdeen, yesterday lunchtime, award-winning author James Kelman struck an unassuming figure.

THE curtain is set to rise on the debut performance of a north-east theatre company who have produced a dazzling cabaret show.

A schoolboy whose family claims his painful birth defects were caused by exposure to toxic waste before he was born has won the right to sue a local authority for personal injury and public nuisance.

Ambitious multimillion-pound plans for the refurbishment of an iconic Sutherland hotel have crumbled.

CHILDREN from across the north and Tayside are taking part in a quiz on European affairs in the Scottish Parliament next week.

LONDON’S new Conservative mayor, Boris Johnson, yesterday handed his New York counterpart Michael Bloomberg a novelty shirt of the London Underground, as the pair met to discuss the challenges of running a world-class city.

THE Church of Scotland is expected to sign a historic pledge “unequivocally” opposing the death penalty in wake of concerns that the UK Government failed to adequately condemn the execution of Saddam Hussein.

British Airways apologised to north-east business passengers yesterday for luggage transfer problems at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 – on the day its chief executive said all was now “working well”.

AT FIRST sight, John Forrest’s motorhome appears altogether unremarkable, apart from its quirky paint job and generous size.

The number of million-pound properties sold across Scotland rose by 138% last year, new research has revealed.

Lenders came under pressure to do more for struggling homeowners yesterday after the number of people threatened with losing their homes rose to its highest level for 16 years.

Council chiefs have admitted that trying to stop Rangers fans drinking before the Uefa Cup final would be like telling them to “stop breathing”.

A RARE military watch worth more than £50,000 was discovered after its unsuspecting owner took it to a jewellers to have its strap changed.

Scots are being urged to continue to give generously to an appeal to help those affected by the Burma cyclone disaster.

A senior RAF engineer responsible for maintaining Nimrod spy planes was not told of a rise in fuel leaks on the aircraft before one crashed in Afghanistan, killing 14 men.

If you want to stay safe from violence, abuse and fear, you can – by using the power of your mind and your intuition.

AIRPORTS operator BAA said yesterday it was raising £400million from shareholders amid concerns over its plans to refinance £10billion in debts.

Two senior judges yesterday spoke out against the “dreadful influence” of teenage knife culture as 10 youths were jailed over the murders of two schoolboys.

THE parents of Chelsea gun siege barrister Mark Saunders said yesterday that he was known for his “warmth, generosity and sheer energy for life”.

The former Crieff fine arts auctioneer who started the campaign for official recognition of the Bevin Boys’ work in coal mines during World War II formally received his own commemorative badge last night.

The Shia militant group Hezbollah seized control of key parts of Beirut from western-backed Sunni rivals yesterday in a show of force as it fights for dominance in Lebanon’s political deadlock.

A JUDGE ruled yesterday that jury selection can begin in US R&B star R Kelly’s long-delayed child pornography trial.

Four Democratic superdelegates endorsed Barack Obama yesterday as he moved closer to clinching the party’s presidential nomination.

POLICE were called to Portree High School yesterday as teachers tried to avoid a last day of school pranks and damage, even though the building is being demolished over the summer.

Plans to close 16 branches in the Northern and Western Isles were confirmed by the Post Office last night.

A 71-year-old Sutherland man appeared in court yesterday charged with murdering his wife.

A CLUSTER of education centres was officially opened in Argyll yesterday by a Scottish Government minister.

An Inverness-shire estate and a local councillor have clashed over claims that a public right of way exists near the estate’s main residence.

COUNCILLORS are pressing for action after major disruption to a lifeline ferry service as a result of work carried out as part of a £12.9million “improvement" scheme.

A senior care worker yesterday told a court she thought that a jet plane had crashed into a care home where she was working because the noise of a car outside was so loud.

PUPILS from a Wester Ross school took part in a debate about European and international politics at the Scottish Parliament yesterday.

The big international motorcycling event being staged in the Highlands faced chaos after an Army supply vehicle broke down and scorching temperatures took its toll on riders.

A Highland man has been prevented from keeping firearms in his house because police are worried his father would gain access to them.

BUDDING masterminds from a Black Isle primary school are busy swotting this weekend as they prepare to take part in a national quiz about Europe next week.

PLANS for a Gaelic school in a Skye town moved a step closer following the formation of a Comann nam Pàrant (parents’ group) which will now work on making a case for a standalone Gaelic primary school in Portree.

A PRINT of a supermodel and a huge copper sculpture of a man will be among the attractions at Beauly gallery’s summer exhibition.

AN ALBINO dogfish caught by two Argyll fishermen is settling into its new home at the Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary at Oban.

An Inverness Gaelic teacher is preparing for a trip of a lifetime to Africa, where she hopes to be able to make a difference to schooling in the country.

One of Scotland’s oldest auction houses will bring down the hammer for the last time next weekend.

A north-east village has become the latest target for oil thieves who have been stealing from home supply tanks across the area.

A TROUPE of young Moray cheerleaders will be performing for football fans for the first time today at their local club’s final game of the season.

A £500million golf resort project managed by Donald Trump has been kicked out by a planning authority because of environmental concerns.

WORK has finished on Moray Art Centre’s premier gallery space in time for its launch at the end of this month.

AN EXHIBITION of old and new works by a Moray artist will go on show today at Elgin Museum.

North-east councillors will voice their opinions on Aberdeenshire Council’s attempt to stop tenants buying their homes during a meeting next week.

Police are hunting an air-rifle sniper who has been targeting pets in a north-east village.

One of the first victims of a north-east council’s controversial ban on mobility scooters says he feels trapped in his own home.

THEIR delicate leaves contain the power to treat everything from a simple rash to a blinding migraine.

Residents in Peterhead are trying to block plans to create Aberdeenshire’s biggest purpose-built nightclub on their doorstep.

BATHERS hoping to cool down from the unseasonably warm May weather at Stonehaven’s open-air pool will have to wait a bit longer to get their feet wet.

Fears have been raised that problems which beset a north-east caravan park last year could be repeated this season following a serious disturbance at the site.

A FOOTBALL project which aims to encourage more girls to take up the sport kicked off yesterday.

A CAMPAIGN to provide social hubs for young people in the north-east stepped up a gear last night when a mobile sports arena was unveiled in an Aberdeenshire town.

A NORTH-EAST MSP has called for a low-cost heating company in Aberdeen to be made exempt from paying business rates.

A decrepit building where FirstGroup’s buses were serviced tumbled to the ground in Aberdeen yesterday to make way for the transport giant’s £20million global headquarters and depot.

A TROUPE of professional storytellers switched roles and turned audience yesterday to sit in on a performance by a group of youngsters from Aberdeen.

A CELEBRATION of all things 1960s took place last night in Aberdeen to mark the 40th anniversary of a city community centre.