COMPLAINTS about holidays have overtaken job concerns as the number one issue for hundreds of Scots contacting two independent national advice services every day during the coronavirus crisis.

RIGHT now, Shahbaz Majeed should be heading to Glencoe. Or flying over central Scotland. Or making his way to Harris which he has been trying to get back to since his first visit in 2018. Or maybe visiting some other part of Scotland so he can capture it in a photograph. Instead, he is at home in Dundee (where he is web development manager at the University of Dundee), “climbing the walls,” and looking forward to life after lockdown.

IT'S the day after May Day and perhaps you’re feeling you’ve missed out on a good, sweaty Scottish pagan spring ritual of the type done particularly well at Beltane on Edinburgh’s Calton Hill, though not in a year of quarantine. Never fear. There are still ways of channelling the fertility rites of spring, the chief one being, of course, the folk horror classic The Wicker Man. Put on a goat mask, get in touch with your inner Wicker – or even Wicca – and revel in a bit of self-isolation

IT’S not everyone who’s given the chance to design their own tartan so when the opportunity arose, Vixy Rae didn’t need to give it a second thought.

Beth Pearson, author of The Coorie Home

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Ingrid Newkirk isn’t sure exactly how many times she has been arrested. “Definitely a few dozen,” she’ll say, if you ask. I’ve just done exactly that, so right now the British-born founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is running me through a sort of greatest hits of her law-baiting exploits and the jailtime they have brought her in the name of animal rights.

IF ever we needed to indulge in a bout of collective escapism, if only for 60 minutes on a Sunday night, then that time is now. Thankfully ITV has just the thing – Belgravia, the latest big budget costume drama from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and a series that positively ripples with dimples, quiffs, honey-coloured chiffon frocks, eye-popping millinery and glamorous uniforms.

The Reserve Bank bought R11.4 billion worth of government bonds from the secondary market during April, as part of its measures to introduce liquidity to the market.

Australia's central bank has predicted that the country is facing its biggest economic contraction on record.

State adviser says government was sympathetic to the economic difficulties caused by the on-going lockdown but growth in infections in areas such as the Western Cape are biggest risk to the faster reopening of the economy.

Canada shed three million jobs in the last two months due to the coronavirus lockdown, causing the unemployment rate to shoot up to 13% in April, the government reported Friday.

It’s been a nerve-wracking few years for the traditional auto industry. One Silicon Valley VC firm speculates on its future in an interview with Bloomberg.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that institutional investors in South Africa and across the globe are starting to take their ownership rights more seriously.

The Black Business Council stood by Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane and South Africa's Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment policy.

OM EAST - Just before Easter 2010, the Hitchings travelled to Serbia with Simon (OM EAST) to deliver 1200 copies of "My First Bible" in Arli to the Arli church...

OM sees God working in the lives of a few of the thousands of asylum seekers in Austria.

In a country with few evangelical churches, OM Austria aims to establish a worship point in every town with a population over 5,000.

A Crimean Tatar man shares how he gained courage and learnt vital truths through reading Into the Den of the Infidels, produced by OM EAST.

God provides for OM EAST’s Bosnia Schoolbags Project this year in special and surprising ways.

OM EAST responds to the need for Christian books in the Georgian language.

OM EAST rejoices at God’s provision sent by post.

OM EAST helps bring God’s truth to a people who believe they are cursed.

OM EAST shares about a significant event in the Georgian church: OM EAST’s publication of the Right Choices Bible.

OM EAST is publishing Rodney “Gypsy” Smith’s autobiography to help inspire Roma believers in Serbia.

Graphic designers, translators and distributors from 130 organisations meet to develop media for minority languages in Eurasia.

This summer nearly 1,000 Roma children in Roma villages throughout Central and Eastern Europe heard the Gospel.

Thirteen participants from all over the world spent a week getting to know and supporting the refugee work in Linz. Six share about their experiences.

Stories from ReachAUT, an outreach in Austria organised by the Liebenzeller Mission in cooperation with other Christian organisations, including OM.

THE Murray window is closing but Tennis Scotland appear to be diving through it just in time. Failing to adequately capitalise on the ongoing successes of Andy and Jamie has been a long-time frustration of the family, with mum Judy vehement in her criticism of the governing bodies for their inertia.

ANDY MURRAY may need to have another operation as he continues his bid to return to top-level tennis.

THE news earlier this week that Tennis Scotland will be on the receiving end of a £12 million package from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is hugely significant.

TIM HENMAN believe the recent investment in Scottish tennis can help improve the game in this country, and the former British number one admits he is hugely impressed with some of the young talent being produced across the UK, in particular Scotland’s Aidan McHugh, the 19-year-old who has recently ventured into the senior ranks.

ANDY MURRAY has had a bumpy ride over the past couple of years, undergoing hip surgery, staging a comeback which saw him win his first title in two years before another injury setback has seen him sidelined since the tail-end of last year.

THE LTA has today announced a multi-million pound package of additional funding and measures to support those involved in tennis in Britain through the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

SIR Andy Murray has sent a heartfelt message to NHS staff for their heroic work during the coronavirus crisis.

ANDY MURRAY will swap a tennis racket for a games controller when he takes part in a virtual Madrid Open later this month.

Andy Murray does not think getting the professional tennis circuit back up and running should be a priority any time soon.

We meet the Oleksandr Kadenko, the gold medal recipient in the 2010 UEFA Grassroots Day Awards for best leader.

How UEFA has helped football development in Finland.

We find out about the grassroots plans for Dublin around the UEFA Europa League final.

A look at how Poland celebrated the first UEFA Grassroots Day.

Willi Hink from the German Football Association tells us how the FIFA Women's World Cup will boost girls' football in Germany.

We visit Lesser Hampden to see how Scotland celebrated UEFA Grassroots Day.

We find out how mini-pitches were the centrepiece of Germany's UEFA Grassroots Day celebrations.

A look at how Swiss football is on the rise, from the grassroots upwards.

We discover the grassroots impact of co-hosting UEFA EURO 2012 for Poland.

We visit the winners of the Best Club category in the 2011 UEFA Grassroots Day Awards.

THE first cap is the sweetest. For hockey player Alan Forsyth it came on October 19, 2015: Great Britain versus Argentina at Bisham Abbey. He scored on his debut, too, teed up by fellow Scot Chris Grassick after 28 minutes.