24/11/2006

If you are reading this over breakfast, perhaps you should stop now. It was to prove a selfless act of heroism by the former Scotland editor of The Observer, Stephen Khan, who last week was part of a trio of impressive by-lines in the Independent on Sunday.
For a major article that was to be headlined, ‘Syria and Iran - Axis of Evil or Brokers of Peace?’, Khan journey to Damascus, the Syrian capital, where he attended a dinner hosted by the country’s president, Bashar Assad. Impressive stuff. Khan’s by-line was to be joined by those of Raymond Whitaker in London and Rupert Cornwell in Washington.
Except that something in the lunch disagreed with Khan, meaning his subsequent trip to the disputed land of the Golan Heights was frequently interrupted by mad dashes for a loo.
Clype is reliably informed that loos on the Golan Heights are ones you have to squat over.
Read the article here.

From the Golan Heights to Glasgow’s Radisson Hotel, for the Tartan Clef music awards last weekend. Among the star-studded guests for the evening were Paolo Nutini, Sandi Thom, and First Minister, Jack McConnell.
McConnell wriggled slightly uncomfortably in his seat when Donald MacLeod, the chair of music therapy charity, Nordoff-Robbins, urged him to “get that Cathy Jamieson to do something” about unscrupulous crooks who rip off charities.
MacLeod, also a columnist on the Scottish Sun, then berated Wee Jack over the smoking ban before returning to his table to sit next to him. Cue mutual back-slapping.
Also on the chair’s table were Scottish Sun editor, David Dinsmore, and new talk107 programme director, Mike Graham.
Spotted deep in conversation at one point were Dinsmore and Daily Record showbiz hack, Rick Fulton.
Whatever could they have been discussing?