21 May 2013
A tornado - up to 2 miles wide - has roared through Oklahoma City killing at least 51 people. The twister's destroyed entire neighbourhoods - with winds up to 200mph. More than 20 children are missing. President Obama has declared it a major disaster.
21 May 2013
Pressure is mounting on Gordon Brown to step down as a patron of the Jewish National Fund. Campaigners will hold a meeting in Kirkcaldy tonight. They believe the organisation is racist and claim it raises funds in the UK to participate in the ethnic cleansing of the people of Palestine. Mick Napier, from the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, believes the former PM must act quickly.
21 May 2013
Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon will visit Falkirk later. They'll launch a report on Scotland's economic strengths and the case for independence. It comes just a day after analysis by the UK Treasury found that the country would struggle to protect people's savings and pensions if a yes vote is passed in 2014.
21 May 2013
Women at risk of developing breast cancer are to be given access to more thorough testing. From June, genetic testing is to be offered. The Scottish government says the move will bring the country in line with England and Wales.
21 May 2013
The future of the out-of-hours GP service at Glenrothes Hospital is still unclear. NHS Fife Chairman, Allan Burns, has told local politicians that no decision has been made. The health board wants to move the service to Kirkcaldy's Victoria Hospital. The proposal has attracted strong opposition from MPs, MSPs and members of the public.
20 May 2013
The Church of Scotland is expected to accept gay ministers - according to a leading critic. The Reverend Ian Watson - a member of the Kirk's evangelical wing, which opposes the move, says it's unlikely to secure enough votes to retain the ban on gay clergy. He said a motion permitting gay ministers, but giving congregations the right to opt out, was likely to pass at the general assembly in Edinburgh.
20 May 2013
New figures suggest Scotland's economy is beginning to show a more robust recovery with jobs and salaries on the rise. The Bank of Scotland report on jobs in April shows the strongest increase in permanent appointments for a year. Companies link the rise in full-time positions to higher demand and a more buoyant labour market.
20 May 2013
Fife Council is confident its "ambitious" plans can improve the Kingdom - despite major spending cuts. There are five broad aims to the Council Plan 2017, which look to improve life in the region despite cutting services. The local authority is facing a budget shortfall of £100 million over the next four years. Incoming Chief Executive Steve Grimmond says they need to think big with a smaller budget.
20 May 2013
An independent Scotland would face significant difficulties underwriting personal savings of up to £85,000, according to a UK Treasury report. It warns Scotland would struggle to offer protection to match initiatives like the UK's Financial Services Compensation Scheme. The report says members of benefit pension schemes would not be covered by the Pension Protection Fund, with an independent Scotland required to provide such protection through a similar guarantee fund under EU rules. The claims comes as the SNP government prepares to publish its own paper setting out the strengths of key sectors of Scotland’s economy, as part of the economic case for independence.
20 May 2013
A low-security facility near Cupar will not be used to accommodate high-risk patients. NHS Fife says Stratheden will care for patients who pose a low-risk and will not house overspill patients from the State Hospital at Carstairs. The unit at Stratheden Hospital opens today. Electric fencing and window mesh has already been installed.
