RED TOP REVIEW
Mirren image
Helen Mirren must hold some kind of record for being the thinking man's crumpet for nigh on 40 years. Proof, if any were needed, of her enduring appeal comes in The Sun and other tabloids this morning, with pictures of the Oscar winner on holiday in a fetching red bikini. Mirren, who will be 63 this month, is pictured on a seaside break in Italy, looking as sexy as she did as a twentysomething. But then the papers go and spoil it with a headline that refers to her Oscar-winning role - "The Queen in a bikini." Ugh.
Top tips for table staff
The Mirror claims victory in its campaign to give low-paid restaurant workers the right to get the tips left for them by customers. The paper claims that Gordon Brown is backing its call to close a loophole in the minimum wage legislation that allows firms to use tips left for waiters and waitresses as part of their basic £5.52 an hour salary. The PM will announce plans to change the rules on the tenth anniversary of the minimum wage later this month. With the trade union Unite, The Mirror has been highlighting the way bosses at major chains such as Café Rouge and Garfunkel's abuse the system.
Primal Scream go clean
Shock news from the world of rock'n'roll excess. Primal Scream, the Scots band famed for their hedonistic drug and drink binges, have horrified their fans - by admitting they are now sober. Bass player Mani tell the Daily Record: "We've all been straight for the last nine months. What I'm enjoying more than anything is the clarity, and getting up at eight o'clock in the morning and doing stuff." Wow, that must be a real culture shock, Mani.
BUSINESS
By Rosemary Gallagher
Co-Op snaps up Somerfield
The Co-Operative Group is to buy Somerfield for £1.57bn on a cash-free and debt-free basis to strengthen its position as the UK's fifth-biggest food retailer.
Somerfield's owners, a consortium that includes private equity firm Apex, Barclays Capital and property magnate Robert Tchenguiz, put the group up for sale in January. Manchester-based Co-op is a mutual organisation run on behalf of its 2.5 million members. It has more than 4,300 UK retail outlets and employs 85,000 people. Bristol-based Somerfield has about 900 stores.
TELEVISION
By Fiona Leith
Another brick in the wall
In a timely show, ahead of the British Museum's Hadrian: Empire and Conflict exhibition opening next Thursday, the Timewatch team tonight look at the continuing efforts to excavate the wall, of which only 1% is thought to have been studied.
• Timewatch, BBC2, 7pm
Life choices
One of Scotland's best known public figures, MSP and Parkinson's disease sufferer Margo MacDonald, looks at the issues around assisted dying, and discovers evidence of illegal, underground assisted suicides, while pursuing her own, very personal, investigation.
• My Right to Die, BBC1, 10.40pm
Simply the best
Angela Bassett shakes her tail feather as she portrays Tina Turner in What's Love Got To Do With It. Aided by Laurence Fishburne's maniacal Ike, Bassett acts her way through the powerful tale of one of rock's female legends and her personal and professional fight to sing to her own tune.
• What's Love Got To Do With It?, BBC1, 11.40pm
FASHION
Kayt Turner
Supporting act
Rumer Willis is a young thing who has obviously never heard of foundation garments. Mark my words, young lady: if they are down about your waist at this age, they'll be at your ankles by the time you're in your thirties.
Animal crackers
Kate Walsh likes to mess with her stylist. "Find me something in leopard print," she says. "And make it strapless. And shiny." Obviously she then had no option but to wear the damned thing when it was unearthed from the back of Bet Lynch's wardrobe.
Less is less
Sara Jean Underwood is a model, apparently. Looking at this outfit, I think we can guess what she usually 'models'.
SPORT
By Graham Bean
Another Spanish cyclist fails drugs test
The spectre of drugs loomed at the Tour de France this morning when it emerged that the Spanish cyclist Moisés Dueñas Nevado had tested positive for the banned blood booster EPO (erythropoietin).
The 27-year-old rider from the Barloworld team was immediately withdrawn from the race after he became the second Spaniard in less than a week to fail a drugs test. Nevado tested positive after the fourth stage.
Injured Harrington to defend Open title
Tiger Woods has shown it is possible to win a major while injured – now it is Padraig Harrington's turn in the defence of his Open title. While Woods' knee injury keeps him from competing at Royal Birkdale, Harrington is determined to tee it up in tomorrow's first round despite suffering a wrist injury on Saturday.
Harrington played only nine holes of practice yesterday, without attempting a single shot out of the rough, before being advised to rest his wrist further.
"I know I will not get through 72 holes this week without going in the rough and the biggest worry is if I do something that will flare it up and give me a problem," the Irishman admitted. "If it wasn't the Open I would have pulled out. I would have come for treatment and then decided I could not risk it. But because it's Open week I will definitely make the effort."
Transfer news
Manchester City have missed out on Ronaldinho, with the Brazilian expected to sign for AC Milan today for an initial fee of £16.7m, a figure which could rise to £19.8m.
Former Hearts and Scotland midfielder Colin Cameron has signed for Dundee. Cameron, 35, has agreed a one-year deal and returns north of the border after spending the last seven years in England with Wolves, Coventry and MK Dons.
Aberdeen, meanwhile, have signed former Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew from Wolves.
INTERNET
Website of the day
By Marc Horne
The foul-mouthed animated antics of the adult cartoon South Park have become a cult hit around the world. You can join the cast by creating your own lookalike character at this site.
The full article contains 1060 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
