THE killing last week of Scottish aid worker David Haines followed a familiar pattern.While his death may have had a feeling of tragic inevitability, it was nonetheless shocking, and brutal, and disturbed people around the world, particularly here in Scotland.

Islamic State (IS) had threatened to kill David in a previous video and it seemed as though the whole world was rendered helpless to save him.

The videos, the threats and the eventual death of David Haines followed a disturbing sequence of events in which we saw two American journalists similarly murdered. The demands of IS, the stopping of American air attacks in return for the sparing of their lives, of course went unheeded.

David was raised in Perthshire and educated at Perth Academy.

His death brings home the reality of the Middle East war between Sunni and Shia Muslims.

Whether it is being fought in Syria or Iraq, its influence is being felt across the world.

David had served as an aid worker, both in Libya and Sudan, prior to his kidnapping in Syria.

It is difficult to comprehend the barbarity involved in such acts. It is almost as though there are some in our world who would wish to turn the clock back to the 11th and 12th Century, where Christian Crusades to the Holy Land offered an excuse for such barbarism.

Yet how do we respond to such brutal idealism?

I recall reading about the thousands of British citizens, including hundreds of Scots, who rushed to Spain in the 1930s in order to defend that country against the threat of General Franco's fascism.

Are the hundreds of young British Muslims setting off to Syria and Iraq embarking upon a similar journey?

Given the well-publicised atrocities and the graphic and brutal consequences on display on the internet there are few who would describe the IS actions as just.

The world has many religions, all of which should be respected, none of which should be held up for debate.

However, can any cause, which does not espouse the principles of love, unity and peace, continue to be referred to as religious?

THE latest ranking of the world's universities provided a significant boost to Scotland's international reputation for education.

The QS World University Rankings placed three of Scotland's universities in the world's top 100.

Edinburgh came in at 17th, Glasgow at 55th and St Andrews at 88th.

For a country of our size, we should be absolutely thrilled with the outcome of these rankings.

The assessment of the top 100 universities begins with an examination of some 3000 universities around the world. To have three in the top 100 is a highly significant endorsement of the Scottish education system.

The rankings are based on performance in a number of areas of university life. Academic and employer reputation, staff to student ratios, research citations and international students and faculty arrangements.

Our report card should read: World Class, well done.

Education and enlightenment benefits the whole of Scottish society. As a parent, whose son will hopef enter the university system in the next couple of years, why would he need to go anywhere else in the world when he can have the very best of education, here at home?

A RATHER romantic story struck me this week relating to the activities of the Highland Wildlife Park in Aviemore.

The park is home to two adult male polar bears, named Walker and Arktos, and has been making some rather amorous advances to other zoos in an attempt to lure a female polar bear to Aviemore next year as a mate for one of the two males.

But which one will get the girl? A sort of polar bear Blind Date with one of the malesbeing given the cold shoulder.

It would appear that the last polar bear cub born in the UK was more than 20 years ago.

Evidently polar bears experience some difficulties in this area similar to their cousins the giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo.

To that end the Aviemore park is building a new and extended enclosure to welcome the female this spring.

Hopefully she will not be given a frosty reception by her intended suitors.

I am sure the park will be desperate to trump their Edinburgh Zoo rivals in the quest to achieve the arrival of a money-spinning visitor-attracting Scottish -born bear cub.

Privately of course, keepers at Aviemore will be keeping their fingers crossed that Walker and Arktos don't get cold feet or paws for thought.