:00:15. > :00:25.Welcome to Reporting Scotland. Tonight: Passions run high at the
:00:25. > :00:33.SNP conference over NATO membership. I could tell you right now, I speak
:00:33. > :00:39.to the grassroots of this party and may do not what Trident. We have
:00:39. > :00:44.moved on from being a party of protest to a party of power. We are
:00:44. > :00:48.here not by accident but by design. The leadership breaths a sigh of
:00:48. > :00:51.relief as it wins the vote to ditch its opposition to NATO membership.
:00:51. > :00:54.Also in the programme: 20 injured as a plane is evacuated at Glasgow
:00:55. > :01:03.airport after smoke fills the cabin. Passengers have been describing the
:01:03. > :01:07.panic. The stewardess said for everybody
:01:07. > :01:10.to evacuate the plane and then it was hurrying. And And later
:01:10. > :01:15.tonight: The Highland village that's about to twin with its
:01:15. > :01:18.namesake on Mars! And a Celtic sporting challenge as
:01:18. > :01:24.Scotland's best Shinty players prepare to take on a team of Irish
:01:24. > :01:28.hurlers. The Scottish National Party has
:01:28. > :01:31.voted to abandon its long-standing opposition to membership of NATO.
:01:31. > :01:35.The decision was taken in the last hour at the party conference in
:01:35. > :01:45.Perth following a heated debate. Here's our political correspondent
:01:45. > :01:48.
:01:48. > :01:53.Raymond Buchanan. Apologies, we're going to join up
:01:53. > :01:59.our Political Editor. This has been a significant moment for the SNP?
:01:59. > :02:09.have been speaking to several delegates after the vote. It was
:02:09. > :02:13.described to me as being cathartic. He meant it cleanses the issue
:02:13. > :02:22.within the SNP and allows them to go for it. There were two arguments
:02:22. > :02:26.given. One was that Scotland should co-operate with our near neighbours.
:02:26. > :02:30.They are members of NATO but it was really striking how throughout the
:02:30. > :02:35.debate, the element that came through was one of pragmatism. He
:02:35. > :02:41.had speaker after speaker saying, do you want to win this vote in
:02:41. > :02:49.2014 or not? Like it or not, this question of NATO has emerged as a
:02:49. > :02:52.potential obstacle. Some saw it as unacceptable that Scotland would
:02:52. > :02:59.leave NATO upon independence will therefore be SNP believes they have
:02:59. > :03:06.to remove that obstacle from their advance offer for independence.
:03:06. > :03:09.Alex Salmond is Updating his speech as we speak. Aircraft operator Jet2
:03:09. > :03:12.have launched an investigation after 20 people were injured when
:03:12. > :03:15.one of their planes had to be evacuated on the runway at Glasgow
:03:15. > :03:24.airport. Passengers spoke of their panic as the pilot was forced to
:03:24. > :03:32.abort take off with smoke filling the cabin. Steven Godden reports.
:03:32. > :03:36.Is that everybody off? They were supposed to be flying off to the
:03:37. > :03:45.sunshine but instead passengers faced a frantic evacuation captured
:03:45. > :03:50.on Ulwell fallen. -- our mobile phone. Heading down the runway on
:03:50. > :03:55.the route to Alicante, the captain was forced to slam on the brakes
:03:55. > :04:01.after smoke filled the cabin. could smell the smoke and then you
:04:01. > :04:05.could see it coming from the side of the plane. The stewardess said
:04:05. > :04:11.for everybody to evacuate the plane and then it was hurrying. Everybody
:04:11. > :04:18.panicked. People were trying to reach into the overhead lockers to
:04:18. > :04:28.reach their baggage and were told not to. In the scramble to escape,
:04:28. > :04:28.
:04:28. > :04:32.20 people were injured with six needing hospital treatment. I have
:04:32. > :04:42.in Gerry's there and on my back. When you went down the sheet,
:04:42. > :04:45.
:04:45. > :04:53.people came down behind you. -- chute. Why did you decide to jump
:04:54. > :04:57.off the wing? Have it was the only way you could get off. Aircraft
:04:57. > :05:02.operators Jet2 have launched an investigation into the cause but
:05:02. > :05:08.have praised the way their staff dealt with the emergency. A they
:05:08. > :05:12.carried out a lot of training on this and they said it went to plan.
:05:12. > :05:19.They said it was really easy because the passengers were very
:05:19. > :05:23.co-operative and helpful. runway reopened but the majority of
:05:23. > :05:28.passengers set off for Spain on board another Jet2 when this
:05:28. > :05:33.afternoon. Some could not face the journey and chose to keep their
:05:33. > :05:36.feet on the ground after the early- morning drama.
:05:36. > :05:43.A scary experience at the time but what has been the consequences of
:05:43. > :05:48.this incident? It is still being felt here tonight. The runway was
:05:48. > :05:52.closed for the best part of three hours this morning which led to
:05:52. > :05:56.cancellations and diversions and delays tonight. Although that is
:05:56. > :06:02.inconvenient, the people most affected were the people on that
:06:02. > :06:07.plane. As you heard, the vast majority have flown off to Spain
:06:07. > :06:12.but some have chosen not to, but also one is still in hospital
:06:12. > :06:17.because of the state of her injuries. All of them will await
:06:17. > :06:22.the outcome of Jet2's investigation into why what should have been a
:06:22. > :06:25.routine flight to the Sun turned into such a traumatic experience.
:06:25. > :06:27.You're watching Reporting Scotland from the BBC. Still to come on the
:06:27. > :06:29.programme. Why organisers of a conker competition are having a
:06:29. > :06:32.hard time finding enough chestnuts for the event.
:06:32. > :06:36.In sport: The Hearts manager gives us his view of the transfer embargo
:06:36. > :06:41.placed imposed on the club, and we meet the Scot who wants to make
:06:41. > :06:47.Formula One history. Keep your engines ticking over, I'll be back
:06:47. > :06:50.later. Police have renewed their appeal
:06:50. > :06:53.for information two weeks after the brutal murder of a pensioner in
:06:53. > :06:59.West Lothian. 67-year-old Ronnie Simpson was found dead in his flat
:06:59. > :07:08.in Armadale. He was described as a small, frail man who would have
:07:08. > :07:13.been unable to defend himself. Rob Flett reports.
:07:13. > :07:18.This is the last known image of Ronnie Simpson are taken from CCTV
:07:18. > :07:22.footage in his local shop. He was the victim of a sustained assault
:07:22. > :07:27.which left him with head injuries. Forensic officers are still at work
:07:27. > :07:32.in his flat. They are convinced there remain traces which could
:07:32. > :07:37.lead them to his colour. The Friday night before his body was found,
:07:37. > :07:40.police investigated reports of shouting in his flat. By the time
:07:40. > :07:50.they got here, the House was in darkness and there appeared to be
:07:50. > :07:52.
:07:52. > :07:59.nobody at home. Police still have no motive as to why he died.
:07:59. > :08:05.still have a vast amount of resources committed. There are also
:08:05. > :08:11.people involved elsewhere. Ronnie Simpson enjoyed a trip to his local
:08:11. > :08:15.pub but he rarely had visitors back to his flat. We have seized a large
:08:15. > :08:20.amount of material from the surrounding region, from businesses
:08:20. > :08:26.and domestic properties and from up buses. We are watching it in real
:08:26. > :08:30.time and we have an excess of 1000 hours of CCTV footage. Her police
:08:30. > :08:34.are confident the answer to his murder lies in the evidence already
:08:34. > :08:38.other but they continue to appeal for or further information which
:08:38. > :08:42.could help them catch his killer. Council leaders in the capital are
:08:42. > :08:45.calling on Parliament to change the law so they can build a badly
:08:45. > :08:47.needed �45 million new school on common land. Critics say the move
:08:47. > :08:49.by Edinburgh council would put at risk green spaces right across
:08:49. > :08:59.Scotland. This report from our education correspondent Seonag
:08:59. > :09:03.MacKinnon. A quiet corner of Edinburgh that
:09:03. > :09:08.may soon be a little less green. Council leaders say this is the
:09:08. > :09:11.only possible site for a badly needed new secondary school. I have
:09:11. > :09:16.a strong concern about losing the green space for this region because
:09:16. > :09:19.once it is on it is gone forever. It should be of concern to the
:09:19. > :09:25.whole of Scotland because if they can put legislation through for
:09:25. > :09:31.this piece of land, it can happen anywhere. By try telling that to
:09:31. > :09:35.pupils and parents of this school. They have been waiting for eight
:09:35. > :09:39.years to end lessons in this building. This is the only
:09:39. > :09:44.available local site but the council has lost a long battle in
:09:44. > :09:52.the courts and now it wants a change in agony the up of lots.
:09:52. > :09:56.Already, some common land has been used to deliver schools. They're
:09:56. > :10:01.examples in North Lanarkshire where common man has been used for the
:10:01. > :10:06.deployment of schools. We believe schools are for the common good of
:10:06. > :10:13.the community. Many parents back calls for MSPs to remove the legal
:10:14. > :10:20.block. Our legal replacement is urgently needed and we know already
:10:20. > :10:26.there is only one decent site for the school. This school is
:10:26. > :10:30.marvellous with by great head teacher and a wonderful ethos. It
:10:30. > :10:35.achieves and wonderful -- an awful lot but to achieve its potential it
:10:35. > :10:41.needs a better building. council is now offering to turn
:10:41. > :10:45.part of the present campus into a park but protesters want to retain
:10:46. > :10:47.the one they already have. A look now at what else has been
:10:47. > :10:50.happening across the country this Friday.
:10:50. > :10:53.Aberdeen's been named as a "supercity" in a list compiled by a
:10:53. > :10:58.bank. HSBC says it believes the energy industry makes it the only
:10:58. > :11:01.Scottish city helping to spearhead the UK's economy.
:11:01. > :11:04.Plans have been unveiled for a new distillery on Speyside. Chivas
:11:04. > :11:10.Brothers is proposing to open on the former Imperial Distillery in
:11:10. > :11:13.the village of Carron near Aberlour. It was mothballed 14 years ago.
:11:13. > :11:16.Harris Tweed manufacturers are hoping for a sales boost from
:11:16. > :11:19.former Soviet countries. Manufacturers of the unique textile
:11:19. > :11:24.say they've had strong interest following a showcase event held in
:11:24. > :11:30.the British Embassy in Moscow. The operator of the Northern Isles
:11:30. > :11:32.ferry service is planning to cut up to 36 jobs. Serco Northlink which
:11:32. > :11:35.took over the passenger and freight routes between Aberdeen, Shetland
:11:35. > :11:39.and Orkney in the summer, says it's already begun talks with staff and
:11:39. > :11:41.unions. Transport Scotland says plans to
:11:42. > :11:47.develop the Aberdeen bypass are underway after protesters lost
:11:47. > :11:51.their appeal against the new road at the Supreme Court, on Wednesday.
:11:51. > :11:54.Construction is expected to start in 2014.
:11:54. > :12:04.There's more from your area, and the latest news, 24 hours a day on
:12:04. > :12:10.BBC Scotland's website. The community of Glenelg on the
:12:10. > :12:13.edge of the West Highlands is about to twin with its namesake on Mars!
:12:13. > :12:23.It follows the Rover Curiosity's flight to a rocky part of the red
:12:23. > :12:25.
:12:25. > :12:32.planet, also called Glenelg. Iain MacDonald boldly went along.
:12:33. > :12:39.It's not the Red Planet. These are the five Sisters. It is another
:12:39. > :12:49.piece of West Highland scenery but over the hill there, their strange
:12:49. > :12:49.
:12:49. > :12:54.things going on. The Martians are on the move as they are up moving
:12:54. > :13:04.towards the twinning with the Red Planet. The Explorer currently
:13:04. > :13:05.
:13:05. > :13:10.travelling across Mars is destined for a place called Glenelg.
:13:10. > :13:13.arrives on this part of land which means it is time for a twinning
:13:14. > :13:19.ceremony which involves an astronaut who has made by a flight
:13:19. > :13:23.into space. There will be a presentation by Nasa about the Mars
:13:23. > :13:33.curiosity but then I will talk about human exploration because
:13:33. > :13:34.
:13:34. > :13:40.after we went to the moon, I hope some day we can send people to Mars.
:13:40. > :13:45.I star-gazing session with Scotland's astronomer Royal and a
:13:45. > :13:55.message from Sir Patrick Moore. The organisers insist this weekend will
:13:55. > :14:01.be out of this world. If you have a passion for the stars,
:14:01. > :14:03.why not take a look at the BBC's Stargazing Live sect for advice on
:14:03. > :14:13.everything from choosing a telescope to photographing the
:14:13. > :14:18.
:14:18. > :14:25.Something else that is on another planet - David Currie is here with
:14:25. > :14:28.sports news! The six Hearts players and manager
:14:28. > :14:33.John McGlynn who did not receive their October salaries as scheduled
:14:33. > :14:36.on Monday have now been paid. This is the second month in succession
:14:36. > :14:40.there has been a delay in their wages and the SPL dashed out a
:14:40. > :14:50.transfer embargo to the Tynecastle club. McGlynn says they just have
:14:50. > :14:50.
:14:50. > :14:56.to suffer the punishment. They have got rules and regulations and they
:14:56. > :15:01.will do what any sea is fit. I cannot appeal to them at any anyway.
:15:01. > :15:04.Whatever will happen, it will happen and we will get on with it.
:15:04. > :15:07.A Scottish racing driver waves goodbye to a life on the German
:15:07. > :15:11.touring car circuit this weekend, as she continues her quest to be
:15:11. > :15:15.the first female Formula One driver. Susie Wolff, from Oban, has been
:15:15. > :15:25.signed by Williams F1 team and is enjoying her first taste of life in
:15:25. > :15:25.
:15:25. > :15:34.the very fast lane. Blink and you will miss her. It is a massive jump
:15:34. > :15:44.up from Sol and car racing. I have dreamed about this day for a long
:15:44. > :15:44.
:15:45. > :15:54.time. Susie Wolff has been under serious for the past few years, but
:15:54. > :15:59.has now been signed up by the Williams F1. Do it is very fast.
:16:00. > :16:07.And it breaking his phenomenal. It is amazing how late you can break.
:16:07. > :16:12.But can she eyes to the very top of a male-dominated sport? As thing I
:16:12. > :16:16.gene is really to see how far I can go off. Williams F1 of the site
:16:16. > :16:26.have a fantastic team and a fantastic drivers waiting in the
:16:26. > :16:27.
:16:27. > :16:29.wings to get her chance. Remember the name - Susie Wolff.
:16:29. > :16:32.One of the more unusual international sporting challenges
:16:32. > :16:35.involving a Scottish team takes place tomorrow. Scotland's shinty
:16:35. > :16:45.players play Ireland tomorrow in Inverness, but it is not quite as
:16:45. > :16:49.
:16:49. > :16:53.straightforward as that. Scotland players at in training for an
:16:53. > :17:03.international contest against Ireland. But the shinty players are
:17:03. > :17:04.
:17:04. > :17:12.taking on hurling. They think they're sport as the best in the
:17:12. > :17:19.world and we think that shinty is the best. So what sort of name
:17:19. > :17:29.which you have for this? So far, there has been all hybrid named,
:17:29. > :17:36.
:17:36. > :17:42.but simply shinty - hurling. There is the variety of scoring systems.
:17:42. > :17:46.The contest is played over two matches - one in Scotland and one
:17:46. > :17:53.in Ireland. You get two points for a win at one point for a draw and a
:17:53. > :18:00.bonus point for two or more goals. You also need a degree in
:18:00. > :18:03.mathematics to probably work out who has won. Yes, shinty - hurling
:18:03. > :18:06.is complicated, but actually, it kind of works.
:18:06. > :18:09.Just by four I go, after a frankly depressing seven days for Scottish
:18:09. > :18:13.football, in which we lost two World Cup qualifiers and dropped to
:18:13. > :18:16.the bottom of our group, something to cheer us all up. There are still
:18:16. > :18:25.some who think we can maybe still make it to Brazil 2014 - and the
:18:25. > :18:32.last man to take us to a World Cup Finals is one of them. Andy Murray
:18:32. > :18:37.was two sets down and won the three sets in a row. Paul Lawrie was 10
:18:37. > :18:42.shots behind at Carnoustie and came back and you would not have given
:18:42. > :18:48.him twopence for his chances. But that is the Scottish resilience. We
:18:48. > :18:52.are are a nation of fighters and I would always maintained, that is
:18:52. > :18:56.until it is mathematically impossible, we will always fight on.
:18:56. > :18:57.Craig "Braveheart" Brown. His glass is not just half full, it
:18:57. > :19:01.positively runneth over with optimism!
:19:01. > :19:03.They came, they saw, they did not conker. The organisers of the
:19:03. > :19:06.Scottish Conker Championships say a combination of the weather and
:19:06. > :19:09.disease has left them without the hundreds they need for the event
:19:09. > :19:19.this weekend. But the answer has come from an unlikely source -
:19:19. > :19:23.
:19:23. > :19:30.England. Searching for Horst chestnuts in vain. The crop has
:19:30. > :19:34.been so poor it has threatened the Scottish championships this weekend.
:19:34. > :19:44.We had Frosts going into April and May and a wet summer season and
:19:44. > :19:45.
:19:45. > :19:48.this is their results. But is pretty ridiculous. George Moffett,
:19:48. > :19:55.the original string or in the championship demonstrates the
:19:55. > :20:03.technique. This is probably the hardest here we have ever had that
:20:03. > :20:13.I can remember. They do not just look in Congress, they are very
:20:13. > :20:23.
:20:23. > :20:30.difficult to hit. I have been The deal has been saved by an
:20:30. > :20:40.unlikely hero. He is from England. How do these compare the normal
:20:40. > :20:44.
:20:44. > :20:47.ones? He these are probably better than the average Scottish conker.
:20:47. > :20:57.around 80 competitors are set to give it a go to more of.
:20:57. > :21:01.
:21:01. > :21:07.How is the weather looking for the Scottish Conker Championships? It
:21:07. > :21:13.has been fairly damp and miserable today. Tonight, staying cloudy, but
:21:13. > :21:19.there rain will be fading. It will become confined to the far north
:21:19. > :21:28.and the Northern Isles by tomorrow. Overnight, gently dry but cloudy.
:21:28. > :21:33.Not a cold night, with temperatures between four-six Celsius. Into
:21:33. > :21:37.tomorrow and the try start, particularly away from Orkney and
:21:37. > :21:44.Shetland. Mist and fog to start the day, but that should push away as
:21:44. > :21:54.the afternoon progresses. By mid- afternoon, Tenby just getting up to
:21:54. > :21:55.
:21:55. > :22:03.12-13 Celsius. Across parts of Argyll, maybe a bit of wetness. The
:22:03. > :22:13.north-west Highlands will enjoy spells of sunshine. If you are that
:22:13. > :22:14.
:22:14. > :22:24.it tomorrow tell walking or climbing, here are the conditions:
:22:24. > :22:24.
:22:24. > :22:29.The wind will be fresh across the eastern side of the Cairngorms. If
:22:29. > :22:39.you are out and about on the inshore waters, here are the wind
:22:39. > :22:47.
:22:47. > :22:53.The rest of the afternoon into the evening, staying dry, but that
:22:53. > :22:58.cloud will begin to Return. Into Sunday, the area of high pressure
:22:58. > :23:05.continues to exert its influence. Another nice day, but some rain
:23:05. > :23:09.could force its way into the likes of Lewis and Harris. Again, mist
:23:09. > :23:18.and fog to start off with, but that burning off and some nice bells of
:23:18. > :23:21.sunshine in the afternoon. Monday is not looking too bad either. That
:23:22. > :23:27.weather front just beginning to work its way across and by Tuesday,
:23:27. > :23:36.it will bring some more cloud and Now, just before seven o'clock, a
:23:36. > :23:39.summary of tonight's top stories. Andrew Mitchell has quit as the
:23:39. > :23:42.government's chief whip after his altercation with the police in
:23:42. > :23:44.Downing Street. The SNP has voted to abandon its
:23:44. > :23:47.long-standing opposition to membership of NATO. The decision
:23:47. > :23:50.was taken at the party's conference in Perth following a heated debate.
:23:50. > :23:53.20 people have been injured after a plane was evacuated at Glasgow
:23:53. > :23:56.Airport. The Jet 2 aircraft was about to take off for Alicante when
:23:56. > :24:02.the cabin filled with smoke. Six passengers were taken to hospital
:24:02. > :24:05.and one was admitted. A taxi driver has been sentenced to
:24:05. > :24:09.life for murdering a woman in Swindon in March last year.
:24:09. > :24:11.Christopher Halliwell killed Sian O'Callaghan. It has emerged that