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January 9, 2012 12:55
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Scottish independence: Cameron steps in

British Prime Minister raises the stakes by demanding Scots hold independence referendum within 18 months.
BannockburnEnlarge
They do love their history in Scotland and the Scots want their independence back, although they probably don't want to restore the monarchy of Robert the Bruce (Christopher Furlong/AFP/Getty Images)

In the first stage of a game of call my bluff, David Cameron announced yesterday that a referendum on Scottish independence should be held within 18 months.

The Scottish National Party took over Scotland's devolved parliament after winning a sizeable majority in the elections of May 2010. The main plank in the party's platform was its pledge to offer Scots a referendum on whether to remain in the United Kingdom. 

SNP leader Alex Salmond wanted to hold that referendum in 2014 on the 700th anniversary of Robert the Bruce's victory over the English at the Battle of Bannockburn - they are obsessed by history everywhere on this island.

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January 5, 2012 10:38
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Was $66,000 too much to spend on a party for giant pandas?

The Scottish government didn't think so, according to its spending records.
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Well, he looks like he's enjoying himself. (-/AFP/Getty Images)

How would you throw a party for two giant pandas?

A few bamboo shoots, a camera to capture the whole thing for YouTube and you'd be set, right?

Wrong.

The welcome bash given pandas Tian Tian and Yuan Guang when they arrived at Edinburgh Zoo last month was a multi-thousand-pound affair – paid for by Scottish taxpayers.

That's according to anti-zoo campaigners and panda-party-poopers the Captive Animals' Protection Society (CAPS), which obtained spending records from the Scottish government under the Freedom of Information Act.

The record showed the government spent exactly £42,722.17 (about $66,000) on the "'panda arrival event' and associated marketing," CAPS said.

The high-profile panda exhibit was supposed to be paid for by commercial sponsors and not public funds, complained CAPS, which presumably won't be getting an invite to the next do.

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November 1, 2011 11:44
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Queen Victoria's underwear sold at auction

A rare lot went under the hammer Tuesday at an auction house in Scotland: Queen Victoria's underwear. The royal bloomers were expected to sell for thousands of pounds.
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As well as the bloomers, this pair of Queen Victoria's favorite silk stockings will be up for auction at Lyon & Turnbull on November 1st. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
A pair of enormous bloomers in white silk is the unusual jewel in the crown of a collection from the former London home of the Forbes family, the BBC reports. The American publishing dynasty collected over $3 million of royal treasures at 17-century Old Battersea House, including letters, furniture, oil paintings, and clothing. The whole lot is now up for sale at the Lyon & Turnbull auction house in Edinburgh, Scotland.
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Thousands face flight delays as Grimsvotn ash cloud spreads

News DeskMay 24, 2011 03:18
Obama, who is on a six-day European tour, left Ireland for Britain on Monday night — a day ahead of schedule — because of fears the volcanic ash cloud could affect travel on Tuesday.

What the Scottish National Party's victory might mean

Robert TaylorMay 13, 2011 18:19
EDINBURGH — It is difficult to overstate the impact Scottish secession could have on the UK.

In Scotland, is it renewable energy's political moment?

Robert TaylorMarch 19, 2011 09:56
As the crisis at a damaged Japanese nuclear power plant mounts, renewable energy looks like a winning political platform — particularly in the United Kingdom, which has the second most nuclear power plants in the European Union.
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