Opinion

WITH the launch of the programme, the Fringe is once again building up steam.

Yet again, this year’s event is heralded as the biggest yet and, no doubt, yet again there will be the annual outcry as the city grinds to a standstill come August.

I had a really nice morning ­during the week after being invited to an Hourglass breakfast event at Harvey Nichols, to ­celebrate the launch of the Unreal High Shine lipgloss launch (vegan). Being a fan of the cruelty-free brand, I was probably first to rsvp with a “hell, yeah”.

This week marks 60 years of me. It’s a big birthday. People say I should mark it. Go on a world cruise. Get a facelift. Have a midlife crisis. Well, obviously it’s not really midlife. That would mean I’d only be at the halfway point and aiming to reach my 120th birthday, and I know for a fact that the Chancellor has not calculated for that level of pension payout.

Whether you agree with Boris Johnson’s promise to deliver an income tax cut for higher earners, or if he’d thought through the consequences for Scotland, his intervention has sparked a new debate about how much tax Scots should be paying.

The Cyrenians could not operate without its 1000 volunteers, who make a huge contribution to the lives of others while benefiting themselves, says Ewan Aitken

In my first column as Edinburgh’s Divisional Commander, I want to take this opportunity to thank officers across Edinburgh Division, and our partners, for welcoming me to this role.

When distinguished columnists like Joyce McMillan and Helen Martin both join in ­saying “don’t blame” the Fringe or the festivals for Edinburgh’s tourism “problems”, you know that the city’s festivals and events are well loved.

“Youth football is nothing if it’s not about social inclusion. For us, and I’m sure this applies to other clubs too, it’s about bringing boys and girls together from all backgrounds to enjoy sport. To give them a purpose and to keep them active. If they are healthy and focused and learning the core skills of a sport – discipline, organisation, communication, friendship and so on – then they will hopefully be better equipped to avoid some of the obvious distractions that society will put in front of them and more driven when it comes to their education and in the fullness of time, work.”

The revelation that Michael Gove, one of the Tory leadership contenders, used cocaine “on several occasions” is a clear indication that the contest is under way in earnest and is surely only the beginning of what promises to be an exercise peppered with dirty tricks.

My first reaction to ­seeing the Rambo: Last Blood trailer was “squeeeee” – that’s not the ‘new’ or ‘recast’ or ‘remade’ Rambo, that’s the 72-year old Sylvester Stallone back for another two-hour blood bath.

Edinburgh is rich with artistic and architectural gems. There is a reason UNESCO has deemed parts of the city a World Heritage Site and why hundreds of thousands of tourists make the ­Capital their destination each year.

Edinburgh is a musical capital. This summer we can enjoy the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Deutsch Oper Berlin, the English Concert ensemble, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and a host of international stars playing amongst other pieces the poignant oratorio written to commemorate the fallen of the First World War, by Scotland’s leading contemporary composer Sir James MacMillan.

The commemorative events marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day have come to an end. From the pomp and circumstance in Portsmouth, to the 300 veterans who revisited the Normandy beaches, and the Scottish veterans honoured at the French consulate in Edinburgh, it has been tremendously moving.

Ten candidates have made the cut – but there are more hurdles to navigate before we find out who will take over in Number Ten, says Ian Swanson

THEY’RE off. After much parading around and intense discussion of the odds, the 2019 Tory leadership race is officially under way. Ten runners have set off but at least one will be eliminated as early as Thursday when MPs have their first round of voting.

GLOBAL trade deals negotiated under World Trade Organisation rules, are difficult to assess, and operate way above the understanding of us, the general public.

The MoD must start monitoring sites like Beafort Dyke as a matter of urgency, says Deidre Brock