:00:17. > :00:20.Welcome to Reporting Scotland. Tonight on your national news:
:00:20. > :00:23.Rangers on the brink, as one bidder pulls out, and another outlines his
:00:23. > :00:33.plans to take over the club. The manager believes time is running
:00:33. > :00:39.
:00:39. > :00:42.Anger as it is revealed that doctors had to battle to keep a
:00:42. > :00:45.patient alive when an operating theatre lost power at one of
:00:46. > :00:49.Scotland's biggest hospitals. A coastguard helicopter pilot is
:00:49. > :00:56.suspended after flying to Orkney to pick up a delivery of meat from a
:00:56. > :00:59.local butcher. And on the eve of the Scottish
:00:59. > :01:07.Grand National, the clerk of Ayr racecourse tells us that horse
:01:07. > :01:15.safety is his main priority. It has been another dramatic day at
:01:15. > :01:18.Rangers Football Club. One bidder has pulled out, but another has
:01:18. > :01:24.outlined his plan for taking over the club. All this, as the manager
:01:24. > :01:28.Ally McCoist warned of liquidation before the end of May.
:01:28. > :01:33.It is business as usual for the players today, but behind the
:01:33. > :01:38.scenes, another tumultuous day. His time running out to save the club?
:01:38. > :01:44.There are fears they are nearing the end of the road as key points
:01:44. > :01:50.approach. On 30th April, clubs will vote on new roles over insolvent
:01:50. > :01:59.clubs that could have an impact. -- rules. They would come into effect
:01:59. > :02:06.on 14th May, the end of the season and when income a -- dries up even
:02:06. > :02:11.more. He thinks are not done by the end of May, it could be cataclysmic.
:02:11. > :02:16.Serious cuts or potential liquidation. I do not like to guess,
:02:16. > :02:24.but you are probably dealing in the latter, I think. Effectively, the
:02:24. > :02:32.end of May is do or die. Before that, in my opinion. They need a
:02:32. > :02:37.buyer now. But today, Bill Ng withdrew interest. But stepping up
:02:38. > :02:44.to the plate is this man, the American Bill Miller. For the first
:02:44. > :02:48.time, he has gone into detail about plans. In a lengthy statement he
:02:48. > :02:53.outlined his �11 million offer, and includes demands of the football
:02:53. > :02:58.authorities that the club would begin play in the 2012 season in
:02:58. > :03:03.yes P L without a loss of points and with historic titles intact. --
:03:03. > :03:05.SPL. He is critical of other interested parties, saying they
:03:05. > :03:15.interested parties, saying they have until Monday to come back in,
:03:15. > :03:20.
:03:20. > :03:26.He talks of setting up an incubator company. What will that mean?
:03:26. > :03:31.go down the bid, and the bid is successful, I would expect that
:03:31. > :03:36.Rangers would be liquidated. I do not believe that is likely, in that
:03:36. > :03:40.I do not believe the bid will be accepted. But the administrators
:03:40. > :03:48.said they will act upon the bid if no others come in by the start of
:03:48. > :03:53.next week. Bill Miller seems to be in pole
:03:53. > :03:57.position to buy the club. They he certainly is, no doubt in the sense
:03:58. > :04:01.that his offer is the only one deemed acceptable so far by the
:04:01. > :04:08.administrators. He will wait until Monday before
:04:08. > :04:13.formalising the offer. The administrators believe they can
:04:13. > :04:19.entice the Blue Knights back to the table. There have been discussions
:04:19. > :04:25.today. I would not rule them out altogether. We have seen in the
:04:25. > :04:31.report the conditions attached to Bill Miller's offer, not penalising
:04:31. > :04:35.Rangers and fining them any further, that is a big stretch of the
:04:35. > :04:42.imagination to believe the football authorities would acquiesce to the
:04:42. > :04:47.demands. More details have emerged of the 11
:04:47. > :04:50.minutes when one of Scotland's leading hospitals lost all power.
:04:50. > :04:53.It happened on the 29th March, when workers for Consort, the company
:04:53. > :04:58.which maintains the hospital building, accidentally cut the
:04:58. > :05:01.power supply. One operation had to be completed by torchlight. Tonight
:05:01. > :05:09.the Health Secretary has told Consort to get its act together.
:05:09. > :05:14.Gavin Walker reports. At first, it was an operation like
:05:14. > :05:19.many others, standard procedure. But things went wrong. The
:05:19. > :05:24.operating theatre suffered a complete power failure. The room
:05:24. > :05:31.was in total darkness and for the first minute and a half staff Pat
:05:31. > :05:36.User Manual them to lay to get to keep the patient breathing --
:05:36. > :05:42.Manual ventilator. It was 11 minutes before the power came back.
:05:42. > :05:47.Maintenance staff from the operator's Consort had turned the
:05:47. > :05:55.electricity off by mistake. NHS Lothian said they can tolerate no
:05:55. > :05:59.more. The need to have guarantees from the providers -- we need
:05:59. > :06:07.guarantees to the hospital this will not happen again. Vosper will
:06:07. > :06:11.has support in demands. -- a hospital has the support.
:06:11. > :06:14.thought it was a scandal that the company made such a mess of the
:06:15. > :06:21.responsibility they to have gone. The other scandal is that the
:06:21. > :06:25.health board has had to put up with other problems. Consort built and
:06:25. > :06:32.runs the hospital and receives �55 million each year to do so. The
:06:32. > :06:37.contract runs until 2028. This company is paid handsomely from the
:06:37. > :06:41.public purse. There is no excuse for the performance we have been
:06:41. > :06:45.seeing. The is the latest of this series of errors and there was a
:06:45. > :06:51.similar power failure in December when a baby was delivered by
:06:51. > :06:55.torchlight. NHS Lothian said the tolerance it has is dwindling.
:06:55. > :07:03.It is clear the Health Board is at the end of its tether with the
:07:03. > :07:07.company that built and manages the hospital. What can they do?
:07:07. > :07:14.They cannot do as much as the people we heard would like to be
:07:14. > :07:19.able to do. Much needs to be done. This was a loss of power to two
:07:19. > :07:24.operating theatres while they were expected to be in use. The big
:07:24. > :07:29.problem is the contract. It is for 30 years. Worth more than �1
:07:29. > :07:35.billion. There is nothing in it that allows a hospital to terminate
:07:35. > :07:39.it for this type of thing. The company Consort is owned by a
:07:40. > :07:47.massive organisation that has lawyer's it is expected would
:07:47. > :07:53.challenge any attempt to cancel the contract. Negotiations go on. One
:07:53. > :07:58.hospital is expected to meet with someone from Consort next week.
:07:58. > :08:02.They will tell them how angry they are and express to them that
:08:02. > :08:05.whatever the contract says, it cannot be allowed to happen again.
:08:05. > :08:07.You're watching Reporting Scotland from the BBC. Still to come on the
:08:07. > :08:12.programme. How revolutionary treatment has
:08:12. > :08:15.changed the life of a woman plagued by hearing problems.
:08:15. > :08:21.And a tiramisu made from sawdust and make-up. One of the highlights
:08:21. > :08:24.of the Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art.
:08:24. > :08:30.We hear from the Celtic management team about Neil Lennon's treatment
:08:30. > :08:35.by the Scottish FA. And we'll be at Ayr race course for
:08:35. > :08:39.a look ahead to tomorrow's Grand National.
:08:39. > :08:41.We might talk about fashion, as well.
:08:41. > :08:44.Alex Salmond says next month's council elections are not about
:08:44. > :08:48.independence. The First Minister was speaking as the SNP published
:08:48. > :08:53.its manifesto for the poll on May 3rd. But many politicians fear
:08:53. > :09:00.turn-out could be low. And as our local government correspondent
:09:01. > :09:07.reports, some voters are still struggling to feel motivated.
:09:07. > :09:12.The best way of making cuts was the topic today. But not have councils
:09:12. > :09:15.should face up to tight budgets. Some staff at this salon in
:09:15. > :09:25.Stirling are not feeling particularly engaged with the local
:09:25. > :09:27.
:09:27. > :09:33.campaign. They would like to be. do not watch a lot of television.
:09:33. > :09:38.If they got out there, we would know a lot more about it. My nearby,
:09:38. > :09:43.the SNP were launching their campaign to engage voters. They are
:09:43. > :09:50.fielding a record number of candidates with a clear aim. Making
:09:50. > :09:55.Scotland better. Their vision is SNP councils and the SNP government
:09:55. > :10:00.working closely. A we offer a partnership for progress. That is a
:10:00. > :10:05.vision of government and councils working together for jobs for the
:10:05. > :10:09.people, helping families, such as the council tax freeze, and
:10:09. > :10:13.establishing fairness. So that everybody gets the benefit from
:10:13. > :10:19.progressive policies. Some manifesto pledges highlight how
:10:19. > :10:21.councils could play a part delivering existing SNP commitments,
:10:21. > :10:27.delivering the council tax freeze, delivering the council tax freeze,
:10:27. > :10:28.more flexible nursery hours and a guarantee of training and education
:10:28. > :10:32.guarantee of training and education guarantee of training and education
:10:32. > :10:36.for everybody between 16 and 19. This document sets out the aims for
:10:36. > :10:43.councils, communities and local economies, independence is hardly
:10:43. > :10:46.mentioned. The independence issue will be settled by the people of
:10:46. > :10:50.Scotland at the referendum. This local election is about
:10:50. > :10:55.establishing fairness for families and building the Partnership for
:10:55. > :11:01.progress. The SNP has more councillors than any other party.
:11:01. > :11:07.Will they win what some see as the selection's ultimate prize? Control
:11:07. > :11:10.of Glasgow. Find out in a fortnight. Police searching for the missing
:11:10. > :11:13.16-year-old schoolgirl Moyra As- Chainey in Easter Ross say a female
:11:13. > :11:16.body has been found in woods near the teenager's home in the village
:11:16. > :11:21.of Edderton. They say no formal identification is been made but the
:11:21. > :11:26.search for Moyra has been stood down. It's too early to say whether
:11:26. > :11:29.there are any suspicious circumstances.
:11:29. > :11:31.A grandmother from Fife who became the first person in Scotland to
:11:31. > :11:37.undergo revolutionary treatment for hearing loss says the procedure has
:11:37. > :11:43.changed her life. Susan Rae spent years combating chronic ear
:11:43. > :11:47.infections that meant conventional hearing aids were useless. But just
:11:47. > :11:53.when she had all but given up hope, a Dundee doctor gave her the chance
:11:53. > :11:59.to hear the birds singing once again.
:11:59. > :12:06.For more than 20 years, the volume on her life had gradually been
:12:06. > :12:11.turned down. Despite numerous trips to the doctors, efforts to combat
:12:11. > :12:15.Susan Rae's hearing loss were frustrated and as time went by
:12:15. > :12:19.problems intensified. Not being able to socialise properly, not
:12:19. > :12:24.being able to hear the grandchildren. Something as simple
:12:24. > :12:29.as the birds. Not being able to hear them because you have not
:12:29. > :12:35.heard it for so long, you do not remember what it sounds like.
:12:35. > :12:38.Susan's life-changing moment arrived when she was transferred to
:12:38. > :12:47.a specialist hospital where she was the first patient in Scotland to
:12:47. > :12:52.have an implant -- fitted. I was first aware of it when I attended a
:12:52. > :12:56.course in France years ago but it never took off in the UK tour
:12:56. > :13:00.relatively recently. There are a number of centres in England that
:13:00. > :13:05.have been offering it. I thought it should be offered to patients in
:13:05. > :13:10.Scotland. The implant eliminates problems with infection and
:13:10. > :13:16.feedback. Two months on, Susan and her husband marvel at the moment it
:13:16. > :13:21.was switched on. It is amazement that they have developed as
:13:21. > :13:26.something so fantastic. My confidence is coming back. I had
:13:26. > :13:31.lost confidence, and that is returning. I think that the more
:13:31. > :13:36.people who can have it, the better. Next month, Susan will have the
:13:36. > :13:41.same procedure on her left ear and is looking forward to life in
:13:41. > :13:51.A look now at what else has been happening across the country this
:13:51. > :13:51.
:13:51. > :13:55.Friday. One person had to be cut free after a serious accident on
:13:55. > :14:01.the A82. Two cars were involved, and one of them went down an
:14:01. > :14:08.embankment beside the Loch Ness. Scientists at Aberdeen University
:14:08. > :14:15.are trying to make healthy turkey burgers by adding a beetroot.
:14:15. > :14:22.beetroot, we think from experiments, might stop the fact in the burghers
:14:22. > :14:26.becoming toxic, facts that have been implicated in studies -- fats.
:14:26. > :14:30.Disabled workers protesting over the closure of their factories
:14:30. > :14:34.staged a demonstration at the Edinburgh office of the Secretary
:14:34. > :14:38.of State for Scotland. Four factories in Scotland are to shut
:14:38. > :14:43.with the UK Government wanting the workers in mainstream employment
:14:43. > :14:47.rather than dedicated work places. Unions say it will be difficult for
:14:47. > :14:51.disabled people to find work in the current climate. A woman was
:14:51. > :14:57.arrested after a shop dummy was entered as a candidate for the
:14:57. > :15:02.council elections in Aberdeen. The mannequin was registered under a
:15:02. > :15:07.name and it is understood the dummy has been seized and a 63-year-old
:15:07. > :15:11.woman has been charged under the representation of the People Act.
:15:11. > :15:17.St Andrews University is building a green energy plant to power its
:15:17. > :15:21.campus. The former paper mill will create energy from Hydro, biomass
:15:22. > :15:29.and grounds sauce heat bumps. And footage has been released of a calf
:15:29. > :15:33.being rescued earlier this month on an uninhabited island. A lifeboat
:15:33. > :15:37.crew were on a search-and-rescue exercise when they spotted the
:15:37. > :15:47.beast stuck on the rocks. And there are more stories from your area 24
:15:47. > :15:48.
:15:48. > :15:52.hours a day on BBC Scotland's We have had a lot about the
:15:52. > :15:57.stakeholder society but the crew of a coastguard helicopter might have
:15:57. > :16:03.taken it too far. In fact, the pilot of the Shetland coastguard
:16:03. > :16:07.helicopter has been suspended after dropping in on a butcher in Orkney
:16:07. > :16:12.to pick up meat. Just popping into your local
:16:12. > :16:16.butchers. The coastguard's rescue helicopter on manoeuvres makes a
:16:16. > :16:24.surprise landing next to the pictures on the East of the Orkney
:16:24. > :16:32.mainland. Two of the crew HAN -- jump out and a consignment of meat
:16:32. > :16:39.is handed over. Bosses are anger its by the footage and have
:16:39. > :16:45.suspended the pilot. The picture says the response was heavy handed.
:16:45. > :16:52.I feel he has done nothing wrong. It was a training flight. They land
:16:52. > :16:57.here 40s, it was a rough landing. We are only a mite -- about one
:16:57. > :17:01.mile away and we are on the flight path anyway. He made no it -- he
:17:02. > :17:09.made no detour, he was just trying to save some money obviously. It is
:17:09. > :17:14.terrible, I cant believe it. The helicopter company says the
:17:14. > :17:22.exercise would have finished before the helicopter landed meaning that
:17:22. > :17:26.the company picked up the Bill rather than the taxpayer.
:17:26. > :17:36.Going to such lengths to pick up a stake has seen this pilot land in
:17:36. > :17:37.
:17:37. > :17:41.some serious trouble. One of the highlights of the horse
:17:41. > :17:47.racing season takes place tomorrow, the Scottish Grand National at Ayr.
:17:47. > :17:52.It comes just one week after two horses were killed at the Grand
:17:52. > :17:56.National at Ayr and treat -- at Aintree. The clerk at the course of
:17:56. > :18:00.Ayr says that everything is being done to minimise the danger to
:18:00. > :18:05.horses. It always attract big crowds and
:18:05. > :18:11.usually some controversy. Two horses collapsed and died after
:18:12. > :18:15.last year's race. Campaigners say it is cruel and want it banned.
:18:16. > :18:21.Organisers insist that safety is their prime concern.
:18:21. > :18:27.A we always go over and above the requirements and we have plenty of
:18:27. > :18:36.ambulances and veterinary staff on site.
:18:36. > :18:42.We asked a big fee for a Tep. What are your thoughts? Harry the
:18:42. > :18:49.Viking. Alex Ferguson on steps and we have heard good things. -- Alex
:18:49. > :18:53.Ferguson owns that one. Your horse running tomorrow has a
:18:53. > :19:00.bit of a pedigree. Tell me about its background.
:19:00. > :19:04.He won it two years ago and then he came back last year and was second.
:19:04. > :19:09.We think we still have him on the go and I think he will have as good
:19:09. > :19:15.a chance tomorrow as he has had. There are 25 runners and anything
:19:15. > :19:22.can happen. It is not all about the racing.
:19:22. > :19:26.There is also the chance to get the glad rags on.
:19:26. > :19:31.What have you made about some of the outfits?
:19:31. > :19:37.There are a few nice ones but not my cup of tea. Some nice dresses
:19:37. > :19:42.abound but tomorrow will be busier. It looks like someone has called
:19:42. > :19:49.the fashion police. Nothing for these fashionistas to get too
:19:49. > :19:59.worried about. As for the others, ladies you can make your own mind
:19:59. > :20:04.Having had a two-match ban from the Scottish FA yesterday, Celtic
:20:04. > :20:09.manager Neil Lennon sits -- Neil Lennon chose not to speak at his
:20:09. > :20:14.clubs up press conference yesterday. His assistant said the club feels
:20:14. > :20:20.vindicated after his boss escaped punishment for another incident
:20:20. > :20:24.during the last Old Firm derby. I think the verdict is there and
:20:24. > :20:29.you know obviously that Neil was vindicate his and we are vindicated
:20:29. > :20:34.by the decision from the SSA that he did not get a suspension from
:20:35. > :20:38.that game. That is the news just coming in.
:20:38. > :20:43.The police investigation into the Motherwell footballer Steve
:20:43. > :20:48.Jennings has been dropped. Merseyside police were
:20:49. > :20:54.investigating allegations of betting irregularities. But no
:20:54. > :20:59.further action is to be taken. There has been disappointment for
:20:59. > :21:07.Andy Murray at the Monte Carlo Masters. Despite winning the first
:21:07. > :21:17.set, he was eventually beaten. The winner will go on to take on
:21:17. > :21:24.Djokovic in the next round. The hair has made a difference. It
:21:24. > :21:30.claims to represent Glasgow' -- Glasgow's Art Scene. Every two
:21:30. > :21:35.years, the GI festival showcases some unusual and important public
:21:35. > :21:39.works of art. This year there is an inflatable stonehenge, a giant
:21:39. > :21:47.Italian pudding and a project that involves sounds being catapulted
:21:47. > :21:53.across the Clyde. This might not look like a work of
:21:53. > :21:57.art but at the t I, anything goes. This project involves projecting
:21:57. > :22:02.sound from one side of the Clyde to the other.
:22:02. > :22:06.We have telephones and marine a signal flags and the tall ships
:22:06. > :22:16.will send messages to each other and we are building catapults that
:22:16. > :22:20.will throw get so with messages across the river to reach other.
:22:20. > :22:25.This newest work has already been nicknamed the Glasgow tiramisu.
:22:26. > :22:29.While these layers of sawdust are not at that -- are not edible,
:22:29. > :22:32.there is an appetite for this kind of work.
:22:32. > :22:36.This city is the second most important place in the UK for
:22:36. > :22:41.making art. It is one of the most important cities it for art
:22:41. > :22:46.production in Europe. It is to do with an energy and a peer group who
:22:46. > :22:51.worked very hard. Or two consistent decades, world-class artists have
:22:51. > :22:56.been wanting to live here and make work here and be part of this
:22:56. > :22:59.community. For the home-grown scene, GIA is
:22:59. > :23:04.simply an international celebration of what happens here all year round.
:23:04. > :23:09.While some might be amused by the work on offer, there is no doubting
:23:09. > :23:14.that contemporary art as a mass appeal.
:23:14. > :23:18.The Turner Prize achieved record- breaking figures when it was that
:23:18. > :23:22.the Baltic in Newcastle. It shows there is a real appetite and
:23:22. > :23:27.interest in what is going on. The days of it being seen as a marginal
:23:27. > :23:37.activity are long gone. The thus lending library allows you to
:23:37. > :23:42.
:23:42. > :23:47.borrow your favourite work and take Like today, this weekend will be
:23:47. > :23:52.sunshine and showers. We have said it -- we have seen a few number
:23:52. > :23:58.this afternoon. There was some sunshine in between but one or two
:23:58. > :24:02.were fairly heavy. Tonight, the savage will ease. In eastern parts
:24:02. > :24:09.of the country, they will stay cloudy and there will be continued
:24:09. > :24:13.outbreaks of rain. Further west, clear skies. Perhaps some lower
:24:13. > :24:19.temperatures in the sheltered glens. Winds will be staying white as well.
:24:19. > :24:23.Tomorrow, to start the weekend, sunshine and showers. A cloudier
:24:24. > :24:27.start further east compared with areas further west. Showers will
:24:27. > :24:34.continue and there will be heavier than places and come with the rest
:24:34. > :24:38.of pale or thunder. The Met Office has a yellow warning in force. With
:24:39. > :24:45.light winds, they will be slow- moving. There could be surface
:24:45. > :24:52.level flooding to contend with. Further north, good sunshine.
:24:52. > :24:55.Across Orkney and Shetland, cloudier and rain for Shetland. We
:24:56. > :25:03.could see snow showers if you are walking and clown -- climbing in
:25:03. > :25:08.the hills. Thundery towards the South and west. Further east, sums
:25:08. > :25:13.those showers for the Cairngorms. Heavy showers and thunder a for the
:25:13. > :25:22.Border hills. Rents are generally light for all. There will be
:25:22. > :25:31.thundery showers for the South West. Further east, across the Firth of
:25:31. > :25:34.Forth there will be heavy showers and thunder will be less of a risk.
:25:34. > :25:40.In the second half of the afternoon, the showers are still with us but
:25:40. > :25:44.much slighter compared with the daytime. Towards Sunday, the area
:25:44. > :25:48.of low-pressure that of those showers starts to push away. It
:25:48. > :25:54.will still be a day of sunshine on Sunday with lighter showers
:25:54. > :25:59.compared with the first half of the weekend. Temperatures are a little.
:26:00. > :26:05.Mountain snow above where anyone leads on above any of the high road
:26:05. > :26:10.routes. An area of low pressure next week feeding in sunshine and
:26:11. > :26:17.more showers but there will be -- they will be reasonably light.
:26:17. > :26:21.Just before 7pm, a summary of the top stories. Another dramatic day
:26:21. > :26:26.at Rangers football club with one better pulling out and another
:26:26. > :26:33.outlining his plans for taking over the club. Ally McCoist warned of
:26:33. > :26:38.liquidation before the end of May. The Bahraini government insists
:26:38. > :26:43.that this weekend's Grand Prix will go ahead despite clashes between
:26:43. > :26:47.security forces and anti-government protesters. The Crown Prince of