Pope Benedict XVI has named archbishop of Glasgow Philip Tartaglia as the successor to cardinal Keith O’Brien in the position of archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh.

The 62-year-old will take over as apostolic administrator for the archdiocese until a new archbishop is appointed.

Archbishop Tartaglia claimed he takes over the position in a “painful and distressing” time for the region.

“With the grace of God, I will do my very best to oversee and govern the Archdiocese until the appointment of a new Archbishop. I ask for your prayers,” he said.

Cardinal O’Brien announced he would be stepping down from his position on Monday (February 25^th), amid claims that he engaged in inappropriate behaviour with young priests.

He had been scheduled to travel to the Vatican to attend the conclave responsible for choosing the next pope. His absence from the voting means Britain will not be represented in the forthcoming papal election.

O’Brien had tendered his resignation to Pope Benedict some months previously, but was meant to formally retire at a later date before accusations of inappropriate conduct arose.

Three priests and one former clergyman have accused the former cardinal of inappropriate behaviour in a number of incidents that took place over 30 years.

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Strathclyde firefighters have managed to get a blaze under control at a disused school in Glasgow.

Crews were called to the scene at Westercommon Primary School shortly before 3am this morning (February 26^th) and were met with a “well-developed” fire that engulfed around 30 per cent of the building.

Two aerial rescue pumps were scrambled to the site of the inferno and were used as water towers as crews surrounded the building with mains water jets.

At the peak of the blaze, 35 firefighters were in attendance and incident commander Eddie Mullen praised their efforts.

“They worked tirelessly in difficult conditions to prevent the spread of fire to other parts of the building and the neighbouring properties. The fire was quickly contained and is now under control however crews will be on the scene for a considerable time,” he said.

Scottish Power also attended the scene, although nearby power lines were unaffected by the blaze.

A joint investigation is set to be launched by Strathclyde Fire & Rescue and Strathclyde Police into the cause of the fire, which is currently unknown.

Firefighters in the area were called to a second blaze shortly after 6am this morning in Sumburgh Street, Glasgow.

Crews from Easterhouse and Calton managed to quickly extinguish the fire, although one individual was pronounced dead by ambulance staff at the scene.

Image used courtesy of Strathclyde Fire & Rescue.

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A climber has died after suffering a fatal fall while climbing Ben Nevis in Scotland.

The incident took place at around 12:30pm yesterday (February 25^th) afternoon near the Raeburn’s Buttress area and the male mountaineer is thought to have plummeted 165ft to his death.

Police were alerted to the accident and helicopter rescue units Rescue One Three Seven and Rescue One Seven Seven were scrambled to the scene.

Members of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team were also in attendance, but were unable to save the climber – who died during the rescue operation.

“Police are now carrying out inquiries into the incident and there is no further information at this time,” a spokesperson for Northern Constabulary said.

The deceased individual will not be named until his next of kin has been notified. A report on the incident is set to be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal to determine the exact circumstances that led to the man’s death.

This accident is the latest climbing-related death in the Scottish Highlands in recent weeks. Earlier in the month, a number of climbers were trapped in the Cairngorm Mountain range following an avalanche.

Prior to this, a group of mountaineers from Leeds University also had to be rescued via helicopter after becoming trapped in the Jacob’s Ladder area of the range, with one of their number perishing from fatal injuries.

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Cardinal Keith O’Brien has resigned his post as the UK’s most senior Roman Catholic clergyman.

His step down was announced earlier this morning (February 25^th) and will take place with immediate effect.

The move comes after accusations of inappropriate behaviour toward fellow clerics were leveled at O’Brien, with the Observer publishing a series of allegations over the issue.

Three priests and a former clergyman voiced a number of complaints against the former Cardinal over several of incidents that took place over three decades.

One complainant required psychological treatment after claiming that O’Brien had entered into an “inappropriate relationship” with him.

The now-former cardinal rejected the allegations and was expected to continue in his role as head of the catholic church in Scotland until his retirement was scheduled in March.

O’Brien had been scheduled to travel to the Vatican this week to take his place in the conclave to choose the next pope, but his resignation will mean Britain forsakes its place in the coming election.

He stands accused of inappropriate contact with the complainants, with the group expressing fears over the possibility of a cover-up.

“The church is beautiful, but it has a dark side and that has to do with accountability. If the system is to be improved, maybe it needs to be dismantled a bit,” said one alleged victim.

O’Brien was ordained in 1965 and was elevated to the position of Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh in 1985.

His resignation follows that of Pope Benedict XVI, who announced that he would be stepping down as head of the Catholic church last week.

Image used courtesy of the archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh.

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Police constables from Barnet borough have saved a woman from drowning after her car was driven into a freezing lake.

The incident took place near Totteridge Lane at just after 8am this morning (February 21^st) and police were alerted by a member of the public who saw the unconscious driver’s vehicle enter the lake.

Officers arrived on the scene as the car began to sink and two male PCs entered the water, smashed one of the car’s windows and retrieved the woman from the submerged vehicle.

Barnet Borough Commander Adrian Usher commended the constables involved, paying tribute to their “speed and courage”.

“In the bitterly cold conditions we have today, there is little doubt that a sustained period in the water would have posed a serious threat to the woman’s life,” he said.

The driver was treated by the London Ambulance Service at the scene, who attempted to warm her up in an effort to prevent hypothermia setting in.

She was then taken to a hospital in north London for treatment and her condition is confirmed to be non-life-threatening.

The Metropolitan Police have stated they are continuing their enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the accident.

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The victim of a car crash in Lowestoft has been revealed as 74-year-old David Wright.

Police were called to the scene of a collision yesterday (February 18^th) near the Foxburrow Public House on Yarmouth Road at around 9pm.

A Renault Megane reportedly collided with two pedestrians and Mr Wright, of Gainsborough Drive, was found to have suffered fatal injuries.

He was taken to James Paget Hospital, where he later died. A woman in her 70s was also retrieved from the scene and is currently in a critical condition at the facility.

A 27-year-old woman, also from the Lowestoft area, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving in relation to the incident and has since been released on bail. She is due to return to the Great Yarmouth Police Investigation Centre on April 7^th.

A man and two children who were also crossing the road at the time were unharmed during the incident.

Suffolk Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident and anyone with information should call Sergeant Julian Ditcham on 101.

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British Vice Admiral Peter Hudson has taken over the administration of NATO’s Maritime Headquarters.

He replaces Admiral Sir George Zambellas, who took the reins of the organisation during its recent expansion.

Commenting on the appointment, defence secretary Philip Hammond hailed Admiral Hudson, stating he had no doubt he would continue Admiral Zambella’s record of success.

“Vice Admiral Hudson is taking command of the NATO Maritime HQ at an important time, with responsibility for the continuing NATO counter-piracy mission in the Indian Ocean and counter-terrorism mission in the Mediterranean,” he said.

Admiral Zambellas will replace Sir Mark Stanhope as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff for the British Royal Navy in 2013.

Vice Admiral Hudson’s appointment comes as NATO’s sea forces undergo a restructuring – with Northwood taking its place as the alliance’s sole maritime command.

He suggested that the organisation’s maritime wing would play a significant role in global peacekeeping in the coming years.

“The ability of maritime forces to achieve influence without embroilment has seldom been at so high a premium,” said Vice Admiral Hudson.

“In the future we will continue to be able to afford our political leaders viable options and our military commanders a variety of choices.”

Image used courtesy of Ministry of Defence.

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An avalanche in Scotland has trapped a number of climbers in the Cairngorm Mountain range today (February 14^th).

Northern Constabulary has confirmed emergency services are currently in attendance at the scene and are being assisted by members of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team.

The avalanche is said to have occurred shortly after midday and affected the Chalamain Gap area of the range.

Air vehicles from RAF Lossiemouth, including a number of helicopters, are also assisting rescuers in searching for the three people that are thought to be unaccounted for.

The number of people caught up in the incident was initially thought to be higher, with an RAF Mountain Rescue spokesman indicating that up to eight climbers may have been affected.

This latest incident is the second time within a week that rescuers have been called out following an avalanche on the Cairngorms.

Graham Connell of West Yorkshire was found dead in the Jacob’s Ladder area on Monday and five of his climbing companions from Leeds University were rescued by helicopter.

As well as being a popular area with climbers, the Cairngorm range is home to a bustling skiing and winter sports industry.

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The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued further guidance on the contamination of beef products with horsemeat.

According to the body, the significant amount of tainted meat points to either “gross negligence” or deliberate action and it revealed the police are already involved in the investigation.

In a statement, the body responded to worries over the safety of frozen meat products in the UK.

“There is no reason to suspect that there’s any health issue with frozen food in general, and we wouldn’t advise people to stop eating it,” it said.

The FSA went on to reveal that cases of meat contamination in beef products from Tesco and Findus were linked to suppliers in Ireland and France and are collaborating with the authorities in these countries to get to the bottom of the issue.

Findus’ frozen lasagne and Tesco’s beef burgers – which were both found to have been contaminated with horsemeat – have been withdrawn from sale and the FSA advised consumers with these products to return them as a precaution.

The ongoing scandal over contaminated beef has uncovered a range of discrepancies in UK food retailers, including Asda, Lidl, Aldi and Iceland.

Last month, Tesco dropped its supplier Silvercrest Foods, claiming the company had breached its trust. The retailer went on to announce that stringent checks would be put in place to prevent the occurrence of such incidents in the future.

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Andy Murray took heart from playing “the best tennis of his life” after Novak Djokovic lifted the trophy in Melbourne for a third consecutive year.

The Serb secured a fourth Australian Open title and sixth Grand Slam title overall, after a gruelling three hours and 40 minutes of action on Sunday (January 27^th).

But despite defeat, Britain’s number one remained in good spirits following the match, reflecting:

“I have to try and look at the positives of the last few months, and I think I’m going the right direction. This is the first time I’ve beaten Roger [Federer] in a Slam over five sets. I think I dealt with the situations and the ebbs and flows in that match well.

“I felt much more comfortable on the court today than even I did at the US Open, so that has to be a positive.”

Murray won the first set and made a strong start to the second, but appeared to struggle with the physicality of the contest, receiving treatment for blisters during the changeover.

And a feather played an unlikely role in the tie-break, as it drifted into the Scot’s eye-line as he was about to serve during the second set. After stropping to retrieve the object before it hit the court, Murray instantly double-faulted to give Djokovic a 4-2 lead.

Taking control of the match, Djokovic went on to win the second, third and fourth sets to power to victory and become the first man since 1967 to win three Australian titles in succession.

Speaking after the match, the champion said:

“It’s an incredible feeling winning this trophy again. It’s definitely my favourite Grand Slam, my most successful Grand Slam. I love this court.”

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