:00:21. > :00:28.Welcome to Reporting Scotland. Tonight: in fell 0 near the centre
:00:28. > :00:38.of Glasgow. -- inferno. A major blaze near score one's against
:00:38. > :00:44.motorway. It was quite scary to watch.
:00:44. > :00:49.Edinburgh Zoo confirms that two giant pandas will arrive from China.
:00:49. > :00:54.Hopes that a trade mission to Rio de Janeiro will boost the Scottish
:00:54. > :01:01.economy. And the National Portrait Gallery
:01:02. > :01:06.prepares to reopen. A large fire has caused serious
:01:06. > :01:09.disruption in Glasgow city centre of this evening. The spectacular
:01:09. > :01:15.blaze appears to have started in a derelict building near of the
:01:15. > :01:18.Kingston Bridge Over the River Clyde. Over 100 firefighters will
:01:18. > :01:22.and -- were involved in tackling the blaze at its height but there
:01:23. > :01:28.are no reports of casualties. The blaze did not take long to take
:01:28. > :01:36.hold. Flames are ripped through the roof of the former co-operative
:01:36. > :01:40.Funeral Service building in Morrison Street. As flames engulfed
:01:40. > :01:47.the whole of the building a local residents and office workers were
:01:47. > :01:53.evacuated. People had to move quickly to save their car from
:01:53. > :01:58.damage. As darkness fell and the flames became more dramatic around
:01:58. > :02:04.80 firefighters tackled the blaze. The building is now derelict and it
:02:04. > :02:08.is thought that nobody was inside and nobody was injured.
:02:08. > :02:13.The smoke was all blowing out across there. There was lots of
:02:13. > :02:18.heat, lots of people running from buildings.
:02:18. > :02:25.It was quite scary to watch. I have been around at the other side and
:02:25. > :02:31.seen part of the roof falling. Thick smoke affected near by motor
:02:31. > :02:37.ways. This is the view from across the River Clyde. The fire has been
:02:37. > :02:41.burning for over two ours now. Every now and then be fire-fighting
:02:41. > :02:46.is complicated by explosions from inside the building. Some sparks
:02:46. > :02:50.have flown up into the air and landed in the river beside us. Fire
:02:50. > :02:55.and rescue services claimed that the ferocity of the blaze meant
:02:55. > :03:00.attempts to fight it from within were abandoned. The dampening down
:03:00. > :03:07.operation were likely last until morning. Our correspondent is at
:03:07. > :03:12.the scene this evening. What is the latest?
:03:12. > :03:15.The fire-fighting operation is continuing. As you the mark in your
:03:15. > :03:24.introduction over 100 firefighters were involved at the height of the
:03:24. > :03:28.operation. -- as you remarked. Once the flames burst through the roof
:03:28. > :03:33.the fire fighters inside trying to contain it from within had to
:03:33. > :03:39.evacuate. Until literally a couple of minutes ago you could still see
:03:39. > :03:42.high-powered jets spraying on to the glowing embers of the fire but
:03:42. > :03:48.I do understand that the fire- fighting operations and damping
:03:48. > :03:52.down operations will continue overnight and probably there will
:03:52. > :03:57.still be considerable traffic disruption in local area around
:03:57. > :04:02.Morrison Street and Kingston Bridge well into tomorrow. Then fire
:04:02. > :04:08.fighters will attempt to get into the building and carry out forensic
:04:08. > :04:13.search is to establish a cause. A date has been announced for the
:04:13. > :04:19.arrival of two giant pandas in Scotland. Tian Tian and Yang Guang
:04:19. > :04:26.will fly into Edinburgh on a special charter flight on Sunday.
:04:26. > :04:31.It could help boost tourist numbers to Scotland. When Tian Tian and
:04:31. > :04:34.Yang Guang jet into Scotland on their specially chartered flight on
:04:34. > :04:42.Sunday this is where they will live there.
:04:42. > :04:47.These are a Chinese plants sourced in Scotland.
:04:47. > :04:53.These are the enclosures where they will spend the next 10 years. They
:04:53. > :04:59.have been designed in accordance with strict deadline so.
:04:59. > :05:06.They need three important element in both enclosures. AKG, a cave,
:05:06. > :05:16.and a water feature. The climate has structure has been taken care
:05:16. > :05:19.
:05:19. > :05:22.of as best as we possibly can. -- climate structure.
:05:23. > :05:30.The female will only be in season to breed for a short period of time
:05:30. > :05:38.and the Mail even shorter. You are talking about one or two days each
:05:38. > :05:48.year. The draft as a diplomatic one for
:05:48. > :05:51.the United Kingdom. -- deft. But it is also a pre-selected in Scotland.
:05:51. > :06:01.It symbolises Scotland's ever growing relationship with the
:06:01. > :06:09.
:06:09. > :06:17.People's Republic of strainer. -- China.
:06:17. > :06:26.Breeding will be entirely down to the animals.
:06:26. > :06:30.The zoo is expecting a rise in visitors of between 30% and 70%.
:06:30. > :06:36.Alex Salmond will be a trade delegation to China later this week
:06:36. > :06:42.but another developing market of huge importance is Brazil. The
:06:42. > :06:48.Scottish Secretary, Michael Moore, as in Rio de Janeiro right now. It
:06:48. > :06:52.is one of the world's most famous monuments. It usually looks out
:06:52. > :06:59.over the most popular beaches in the southern hemisphere, at least
:06:59. > :07:09.when this kind of Scottish weather is not in town. But Brazil is bad
:07:09. > :07:17.
:07:18. > :07:21.business. -- big.
:07:21. > :07:26.Using our international networks we can create visits like this and
:07:26. > :07:33.generate up to �3 million worth of business. Once the doors are opened
:07:33. > :07:41.we can make so much more. Whereas Scotland is struggling with
:07:41. > :07:50.a gross things are very different here. But there is a belief that
:07:50. > :07:58.tapping into business here could lift the Scottish gloom. Scottish
:07:58. > :08:06.companies are eager to do business. For many small businesses it is
:08:06. > :08:16.about looking at distribution agreements, and for the achievement
:08:16. > :08:22.
:08:22. > :08:28.of contracts in excess of two to �3 million for the week.
:08:28. > :08:36.This is a very beneficial. Especially as we have a back-up
:08:36. > :08:40.from the CBI. The potential here is much more
:08:40. > :08:50.significant than the Turn of what we can generate a loan from our
:08:50. > :08:55.offices in Aberdeen. -- turnover we can generate.
:08:55. > :09:05.The hope is that business here will help lift the clouds are back home.
:09:05. > :09:06.
:09:06. > :09:12.Sport has also been on the agenda. The 2016 World Cup will be here. --
:09:12. > :09:18.the 24th team the World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. -- 2014 World
:09:18. > :09:23.Cup. Because we have the Commonwealth Games coming up there
:09:23. > :09:30.is a belief that there can be an expertise, knowledge, nor how
:09:30. > :09:35.exchange. Michael O'Mara says he is under no illusion that there will
:09:35. > :09:39.be sued international competition for jobs and contracts. -- Michael
:09:39. > :09:45.Moore. But he believes that there is potential for Scottish
:09:45. > :09:51.businesses if they look at it the right way.
:09:51. > :09:56.Still to come: the ancient craft of coopering gets a helping hand from
:09:56. > :10:01.some 21st century high technology. And in sport, Billy Brown has had
:10:02. > :10:11.discussions with Hibernian over the vacant assistant manager post. And
:10:12. > :10:14.
:10:14. > :10:20.Around a quarter of a million public sector workers in Scotland
:10:20. > :10:24.are set to join Wednesday's strike against changes to pension schemes.
:10:24. > :10:31.Unions confirmed today that there is no chance of the action being
:10:31. > :10:39.called off. Why are so many so angry? Our Local Government
:10:39. > :10:44.Correspondent reports. The past year has seen several protests by
:10:44. > :10:48.public sector workers. But they are set to be overshadowed by
:10:48. > :10:57.Wednesday's huge day of action. Some feel that they have no choice
:10:57. > :11:02.but to fight for their pension. I pay lots of money into my pension
:11:02. > :11:06.scheme every month and now this council want me to pay 15% more.
:11:06. > :11:14.What more can we do than take action and go on strike? We do not
:11:14. > :11:18.take it lightly. Arrangements for public sector
:11:18. > :11:22.pension schemes vary but the concerns of unions are the same.
:11:22. > :11:27.Their concern that workers will contribute more and receive less,
:11:27. > :11:31.and received it at a later age. Anybody due to retire in the next
:11:31. > :11:41.10 years will still get the same amount as now but nobody disputes
:11:41. > :11:43.
:11:43. > :11:50.that people are living for longer. Compared with 1981 men are living
:11:50. > :11:58.six years longer. So you need an extra �60,000 on the basis of
:11:58. > :12:02.paying �10,000 the year for six years.
:12:02. > :12:06.The Government claims that pensions must be affordable for the tax
:12:06. > :12:15.payer. But many public sector workers are already angry about
:12:15. > :12:21.existing cuts and pay freezes. People were concerned about
:12:21. > :12:30.dropping pate and their security and survival. That is the impetus
:12:30. > :12:35.for a strike. Here, some elements of the public
:12:35. > :12:39.sector, like the health service, are governed by Holyrood. On
:12:39. > :12:45.Wednesday, as schools will be shut and some hospital appointments will
:12:45. > :12:52.be postponed. Both sides are digging in and this week could be
:12:52. > :12:59.just the start. You can find out just what the impact is on your
:12:59. > :13:08.local service by checking our website. That is BBC
:13:08. > :13:11.It was the world's first portrait gallery. And to get your picture on
:13:11. > :13:14.the wall you had to be great, good and dead for decades. But this week,
:13:14. > :13:16.as the Scottish National Portrait Gallery prepares to reopen after a
:13:16. > :13:19.multi-million pound refurbishment, it's clear the criteria have
:13:19. > :13:29.changed. Just as well for Sir Alex Ferguson and Susan Boyle. Our arts
:13:29. > :13:33.
:13:33. > :13:38.correspondent Pauline McLean A facelift for a familiar
:13:38. > :13:44.institution. Among the familiar faces on the walls, some new ones.
:13:44. > :13:54.David Tennant, Sean Connery and Susan boil. A far cry from the
:13:54. > :13:57.
:13:57. > :14:02.first days of the world's First Portrait Gallery. -- Susan Boyle.
:14:02. > :14:05.We're much more relaxed now it and you can be alive. It is any one of
:14:05. > :14:10.interest and they can be almost unknown people if they have a good
:14:10. > :14:14.story to tell. Stories like this one. A portrait
:14:14. > :14:20.of a dead son - and none of his first three children survived into
:14:20. > :14:30.adulthood. The bad as well as the good belong here. Bath can tear up
:14:30. > :14:32.
:14:32. > :14:35.among the gallery's death masks. -- Burke and Hare. The extra walks
:14:35. > :14:39.involved some of these miniatures and drawers which would be lost if
:14:39. > :14:44.they were hung in the main rooms. They also have to be kept out of
:14:44. > :14:48.the delight but this is a good way of having them on display. They are
:14:48. > :14:54.protected when not being looked at and you can have quite an intimate
:14:54. > :14:57.relationship with them which is appropriate for this art form.
:14:57. > :15:01.the subjects have changed over the years, so have the styles of
:15:01. > :15:06.portraits. Photographs and soundscapes now feature alongside
:15:06. > :15:13.more traditional work. From the outside, it looks as if not much
:15:13. > :15:19.has changed but this is the biggest transformation in the portrait
:15:19. > :15:22.gallery's 122 year history. Some fresh new faces and some fresh look
:15:22. > :15:25.startled faces. Some of the other stories across
:15:25. > :15:27.Scotland this Monday. New laws to protect people in Scotland from
:15:27. > :15:30.being married against their will come into force today. The
:15:30. > :15:34.legislation gives courts the power to issue protection orders which,
:15:34. > :15:38.if breached, could carry a two-year prison sentence. The laws also make
:15:38. > :15:41.it easier to annul a forced marriage.
:15:41. > :15:45.Fatal accident inquiries into the deaths of Scots fighting abroad are
:15:45. > :15:51.likely to begin next year. Currently military inquests are
:15:51. > :15:56.held in Oxford or Swindon. A change in the law was introduced two years
:15:56. > :15:59.ago but had not been implemented. Average house prices in Scotland
:15:59. > :16:03.rose for the first time this year, during the three months from August
:16:03. > :16:08.to October. Latest figures from Lloyds TSB Scotland show the
:16:08. > :16:18.quarterly price index for properties rose by 1.7%. It follows
:16:18. > :16:20.
:16:20. > :16:23.The craft of building whisky casks hasn't changed much in hundreds of
:16:23. > :16:26.years. But now, 21st century technology is lending a helping
:16:26. > :16:31.hand to the men who make the wooden casks at Scotland's newest
:16:31. > :16:34.cooperage near Stirling. And it's hoped heavy-lifting equipment will
:16:34. > :16:44.help extend the working life of the coopers at the Cambus plant near
:16:44. > :16:45.
:16:45. > :16:55.Alloa. Andrew Anderson reports. I giant robot arm. A common sight
:16:55. > :16:58.
:16:58. > :17:02.in car factories but this is a could average. -- cooperage. These
:17:02. > :17:06.machines are being used for the first time here. Among all the
:17:06. > :17:10.advanced technology, the Coopers carry on their task as they have
:17:10. > :17:19.done for centuries. It is a job that needs muscles but there is
:17:19. > :17:23.less heavy work now here. Technology helps out. It helps when
:17:23. > :17:32.you're in there and walking away and it is not as bad with the
:17:32. > :17:42.machinery you have got. Not a sore on the bones. This is how capering
:17:42. > :17:43.
:17:43. > :17:47.used to be and the craft has changed little. -- coopering. At
:17:47. > :17:52.this plant, apprentices continue to learn the skills and robots will
:17:52. > :17:57.not replace them any time soon. currently have eight apprentices
:17:57. > :18:03.training at the moment and we're keen to keep the craft and the
:18:03. > :18:13.skill alive. Today, at the Earl of Wessex was seen for himself how
:18:13. > :18:15.
:18:15. > :18:25.modern technology was being put to work in this �10 million to bridge.
:18:25. > :18:31.It produces 250,000 casques a year. Anyone with a fondness for a
:18:31. > :18:35.natural -- national drink has a lot to thank this place for.
:18:35. > :18:38.Time for the sport. Celtic striker Anthony Stokes insists it's too
:18:38. > :18:41.soon to suggest the momentum in the SPL title race has turned in their
:18:41. > :18:44.favour. At one stage Celtic were 12 points adrift of Rangers, but after
:18:44. > :18:54.the weekend's results, Neil Lennon's side are now just 4 points
:18:54. > :18:54.
:18:55. > :18:59.off the lead. Chris McLaughlin has more.
:18:59. > :19:07.Hitting the high notes after training, the Celtic smiles said it
:19:07. > :19:11.all. After a sticky spell, they are aiming for the number one spot.
:19:11. > :19:21.This was the fabulous 5th on Saturday as sinned Mirren were
:19:21. > :19:24.
:19:24. > :19:32.steam old. -- St Mirren. That cut the gap to four points but Rangers'
:19:32. > :19:36.new ally in it, and it would take them back to seven. Kilmarnock took
:19:36. > :19:46.the points. Just where does that leave the race for the title. In
:19:46. > :19:48.
:19:48. > :19:51.August, of Rangers edged one point ahead. Buy it over, the gap was 12.
:19:51. > :19:58.People wear on our backs and we were dropping points and that is
:19:58. > :20:04.not easy to win games. No team is going to go there will season
:20:04. > :20:13.without up Sandown's. Christmas sales have started early at Ibrox
:20:13. > :20:19.but no tears as yet. Title race back on? I think so. Rangers have
:20:19. > :20:25.been pretty poor but Celtic have been worse. I still feel we will
:20:25. > :20:29.win it easily. A certain three- piece and their pals may have other
:20:29. > :20:31.ideas. BBC Scotland has learned that Billy
:20:31. > :20:34.Brown will stay on as Hibs assistant manager for the
:20:34. > :20:36.foreseeable future. Brown met the new Hibs boss Pat Fenlon over the
:20:36. > :20:39.weekend to discuss his role. Fenlon's appointment last week
:20:39. > :20:42.brought the total of SPL managers born outwith Scotland to seven.
:20:42. > :20:52.Alasdair Lamont asks why homegrown bosses are increasingly being
:20:52. > :20:52.
:20:52. > :21:01.overlooked. The new Hibernian manager had a
:21:01. > :21:05.watching brief on Saturday as his side went three-to-one down. Both
:21:05. > :21:10.managers would prefer to Scottish candidates, establish stand up and
:21:10. > :21:13.coming. One has a theory why the Scots may be missing out. Chair and
:21:13. > :21:17.then make the easier decision, not the one that is right for the
:21:18. > :21:22.football club. They make the one that they think will appease the
:21:22. > :21:26.supporters. Longer term, there stung by these decisions. Sometimes
:21:26. > :21:32.you have to make the choice of a manager that may not be popular
:21:32. > :21:37.with his supporters but is the right man for the job. What are the
:21:37. > :21:40.credentials being sought? Having spoken to decision makers that a
:21:40. > :21:47.couple of Premier League clubs today, one of the things that comes
:21:47. > :21:52.across is that with money so tight, what they're looking for is someone
:21:52. > :21:55.with a broad array of contacts with which they can attract players.
:21:55. > :22:00.Given the recent appointments, does that mean Scottish candidates do
:22:01. > :22:04.not possess those qualities? People like Alex McLeish and Alex Ferguson
:22:04. > :22:10.only have to pick the phone up and they will gladly give them any
:22:10. > :22:14.amount of information. When they're working jobs here, there never off
:22:14. > :22:20.that main road to England, down there and back up once or twice a
:22:20. > :22:26.week. They have plenty of contacts and it is not a reason at all.
:22:26. > :22:36.Whatever the reasoning. There are now more Scots managing in England
:22:36. > :22:39.
:22:39. > :22:41.than in Scotland. Tributes are being paid to the
:22:41. > :22:44.Scotland The What? Star Steve Robertson. The comic, and former
:22:44. > :22:47.rector of Aberdeen University, died after a short illness at the
:22:47. > :22:50.weekend. His family said he brought fun and laughter to so many, and
:22:50. > :23:00.they're struggling to come to terms with his death. Colin Wight looks
:23:00. > :23:01.
:23:01. > :23:04.back on the career of a north-east legend. Steve Roberts and doing
:23:04. > :23:14.what he loved, making an audience laugh. He did it with many
:23:14. > :23:23.
:23:23. > :23:27.different characters. -- Steve Robertson. He got together with
:23:27. > :23:31.George Donald in student shows before storming the Edinburgh
:23:31. > :23:36.Festival Fringe in 1959. He has since received the freedom of
:23:36. > :23:46.Aberdeen and an MBE. Steve was Rector of Aberdeen University for
:23:46. > :23:47.
:23:47. > :23:53.the last three years. Scotland the What? Entertained audiences until
:23:53. > :23:58.its last performance in 1985. People say, the is a serious
:23:58. > :24:02.business. Not so. It was great fun at writing and then watching him
:24:02. > :24:12.perform I always found extremely funny. He was a great character
:24:12. > :24:13.
:24:13. > :24:21.actor rather than a comedian. In my view, not unbiased, he was up there
:24:21. > :24:25.with Rikki Fulton. They will hold a private funeral later this week and
:24:25. > :24:33.the loss of one of Scotland's greatest comics will be marked with
:24:33. > :24:42.a memorial service at a later date. Time now for the latest weather
:24:42. > :24:49.Time now for the latest weather A lot of rain to come in the next
:24:49. > :24:53.few hours. The Met Office have an amber warning in place. More detail
:24:53. > :24:58.on that in a moment. As the rain just starting to gather force
:24:58. > :25:02.across parts of western Scotland and will become more or persistent,
:25:02. > :25:08.extending across the country, always later in the eastern areas.
:25:09. > :25:13.If I can draw your attention to these warning triangles, the yellow
:25:13. > :25:16.one means there is a risk of localised flooding. The amber
:25:16. > :25:24.warnings in Dumfries and Galloway it mean there is a higher risk of
:25:24. > :25:31.localised flooding. As far as temperatures go, we're looking at 4
:25:31. > :25:33.Celsius and we can see rain turning to snow. Strong southerly winds
:25:33. > :25:37.across the country reaching gale force across southern and eastern
:25:37. > :25:42.Scotland with the potential for Severe deals lasting into the
:25:42. > :25:46.morning. Tomorrow morning, and very wet start sold travel disruption
:25:47. > :25:56.may be expected. The area of heavy rain will push across the country
:25:56. > :26:06.towards eastern areas so we are looking at showers and some
:26:06. > :26:08.
:26:09. > :26:13.brightness breaking through. In the Glasgow area,. Snow over the hills
:26:13. > :26:20.in the north-west Highlands. How it -- cloudy tomorrow afternoon around
:26:20. > :26:26.Caithness full stop the further south you go, temperatures will
:26:26. > :26:29.rise keeping in the rain towards eastern and coastal areas. As the
:26:29. > :26:34.day progresses, we will see the rain it edging away and becoming
:26:34. > :26:38.confined to Shetland. We will lose their gales in the south. On
:26:38. > :26:41.Wednesday, a Brighton blustery day with plenty of showers but cold and
:26:41. > :26:44.with plenty of showers but cold and windy. Thanks Judith. Now, just
:26:44. > :26:46.before 7pm, a summary of tonight's top stories. The Chancellor has
:26:46. > :26:54.announced �30 billion of investment in construction projects over 10
:26:54. > :26:57.years to try to stimulate economic growth. The news comes as an
:26:57. > :26:59.economic think-tank warned that the UK is likely to slip back into
:26:59. > :27:02.recession in the coming months. More than 100 firefighters are
:27:02. > :27:04.tackling a huge fire which has caused serious disruption in
:27:04. > :27:07.Glasgow City Centre tonight. The spectacular blaze appears to have
:27:07. > :27:11.started in a derelict building close to the busy Kingston Bridge
:27:11. > :27:13.over the River Clyde. There are no reported casualties.
:27:13. > :27:16.The Westminster Education Secretary Michael Gove has attacked what he
:27:16. > :27:22.called militant union leaders ahead of Wednesday's public sector
:27:22. > :27:27.strikes over pension changes. One union leader accused him of trying
:27:27. > :27:32.to bully public sector workers. The date has been announced for the