:00:00. > :00:18.The number of people seeking work in Scotland has fallen sharply,
:00:19. > :00:21.It's now at its lowest level since 2008.
:00:22. > :00:33.Here's our business and economy editor, Douglas Fraser.
:00:34. > :00:35.Scottish textiles were seen as dying, and nearly finished
:00:36. > :00:39.but in Schofield the weaker pound has brought a new pattern of sales
:00:40. > :00:43.for the trade customers opening up foreign markets.
:00:44. > :00:46.They are obviously seeing an increase in the raw material
:00:47. > :00:49.costs in terms of buying yarn, but they are taking advantage
:00:50. > :00:54.of favourable exchange rates because they are exporting a lot
:00:55. > :01:01.to the Far East, too, some to Europe, quite a lot to America.
:01:02. > :01:10.So they are seeing some down side but some up side as well.
:01:11. > :01:12.Recover from the the financial crash has brought in apprenticeship
:01:13. > :01:14.for some who had training programmes that collapsed back then.
:01:15. > :01:19.I done a apprenticeship in joinery beforehand,
:01:20. > :01:22.and did that for a few years it went really well until the recession hit
:01:23. > :01:28.Unemployment and things became an issue.
:01:29. > :01:31.But since coming here, I felt my job has been quite secure
:01:32. > :01:35.Today's figures suggest there hasn't been such a simple shift.
:01:36. > :01:41.Many people, mostly women appear to be leaving the workforce,
:01:42. > :01:44.they are saying they are not available for work.
:01:45. > :01:47.That goes for 34,000 more working aged Scots women in the year
:01:48. > :01:51.We have seen a small increase in employment
:01:52. > :01:57.which is welcome, another significant decrease
:01:58. > :01:59.in unemployment which is welcome, but unfortunately,
:02:00. > :02:01.both of these shifts are more than compensated
:02:02. > :02:03.for by a significant increase in economic inactivity.
:02:04. > :02:05.A labour market where unemployment is falling because people
:02:06. > :02:08.are withdrawing from the labour market rather than going into jobs
:02:09. > :02:11.isn't one we should be complacent about.
:02:12. > :02:14.After we learned yesterday inflation is on the rise, it is worth noting
:02:15. > :02:19.weekly pay increased by 2.3%, that is still well ahead of 1%
:02:20. > :02:22.inflation but it is not expected to stay that far
:02:23. > :02:30.The job position looked worse than the rest of the UK.
:02:31. > :02:33.Police have discovered a number of children thought to be at risk
:02:34. > :02:35.following a Scotland-wide crackdown on people trafficking.
:02:36. > :02:37.Six youngsters and five adults are being cared
:02:38. > :02:39.for after they were discovered working in nail bars.
:02:40. > :02:41.Hundreds of police officers took part in a series of operations.
:02:42. > :02:46.Our reporter Andrew Anderson joined one of them.
:02:47. > :02:48.In their sights those who traffic the vulnerable,
:02:49. > :02:58.These teams are about to carry out a series of swoops across Fife.
:02:59. > :03:01.This beach is the first stop today for police and immigration
:03:02. > :03:06.officials, there can sometimes be scores of people on this beach
:03:07. > :03:08.there may be people who have been trafficked or who are
:03:09. > :03:15.This beach is popular with people from the Chinese community.
:03:16. > :03:22.The two main species they will be after will be the razor clams
:03:23. > :03:24.and the cockles, of which the razor clams
:03:25. > :03:30.The police approach a Chinese family who a peer to be
:03:31. > :03:36.Criminal gangs use cheap labour to supply the catering trade.
:03:37. > :03:44.They tell police they are on a day out.
:03:45. > :03:47.This operation in Fife was repeated across Scotland yesterday.
:03:48. > :03:52.500 police officers looking for the signs of trafficking.
:03:53. > :03:57.Sometimes people who just display fear or anxiety,
:03:58. > :04:00.on some of the worst occasions people could perhaps display
:04:01. > :04:05.injuries which are the result of being assaulted.
:04:06. > :04:19.These workers are mainly Bulgarian, everything here was above board.
:04:20. > :04:26.The owner told me the traffickers are bad for business.
:04:27. > :04:28.They are undercutting out prices, we can't compete with people
:04:29. > :04:33.because it is hard for us to, you know, to pay the wages and pay
:04:34. > :04:36.the bills at the end of the month. It is quite hard.
:04:37. > :04:41.How big a problem is trafficking in Scotland?
:04:42. > :04:43.there being exploited because they could be
:04:44. > :04:46.exploited in a number of way, the key thing for that is that
:04:47. > :04:49.where it is identified it brought to the police attention.
:04:50. > :04:51.The police hope this latest operation will ultimately lead them
:04:52. > :05:02.to those criminal gangs, who deal in people, for profit.
:05:03. > :05:05.A petition calling for Abellio to be stripped of the ScotRail contract -
:05:06. > :05:08.signed by nearly 20,000 people - has been handed to the government.
:05:09. > :05:11.Here's our transport correspondent David Henderson.
:05:12. > :05:15.A symbol of discontent about the way Scotland's railways are run.
:05:16. > :05:19.In this box, a petition, backed by 19,000 people.
:05:20. > :05:23.Among them, this woman who is fed up with being late for college.
:05:24. > :05:30.It is standing there doing nothing, there was a day it started at nine,
:05:31. > :05:33.so we all got there late because it is my whole class
:05:34. > :05:37.The campaign's message to Government is simple.
:05:38. > :05:42.Get tough with ScotRail bosses or strip them of their contract.
:05:43. > :05:45.A delay sounds like a statistic but it has an impact
:05:46. > :05:52.We have had stories from members who have missed appointments,
:05:53. > :05:54.interviews and there has been real impact on then from delays.
:05:55. > :05:57.Waiting to meet them today, the Transport Minister,
:05:58. > :06:01.last month he asked ScotRail for a performance improvement plan.
:06:02. > :06:06.He told me that should mean fewer delay, a better deal for passengers.
:06:07. > :06:10.There is a plan in place over the franchise, to have more services
:06:11. > :06:14.running, to have high speed trains, longer trains so people don't
:06:15. > :06:20.Nothing is perfect. No.
:06:21. > :06:28.I hold ScotRail to account to make sure they deliver.
:06:29. > :06:30.It is 18 month since the Dutch firm Abellio won
:06:31. > :06:34.It promised to invest millions to improve service.
:06:35. > :06:37.But not all their plans have stayed on track.
:06:38. > :06:43.ScotRail say that just under 90% of their services run on time,
:06:44. > :06:49.That is just below their target but they say the huge increase
:06:50. > :06:51.in passengers travelling on the railways presents
:06:52. > :06:53.them with a challenge, and has caused some
:06:54. > :07:02.ScotRail wants to improve the rail network to boost passenger numbers
:07:03. > :07:06.and speed up trains but that has meant large-scale repair
:07:07. > :07:17.ScotRail has been given time to improve its service by ministers
:07:18. > :07:20.and passengers wants an assurance that there is light at the end
:07:21. > :07:26.for 78 jobs to drive new trains for Virgin along the main
:07:27. > :07:31.Some staff will be based in Edinburgh.
:07:32. > :07:37.The rolling stock should go into service in 2018.
:07:38. > :07:39.A German U-boat which sank almost a century ago has been discovered
:07:40. > :07:43.It was found by engineers laying underwater power cables.
:07:44. > :07:45.It's been claimed that the submarine's crew abandoned
:07:46. > :07:50.the boat after it was attacked by a monster John McManus reports.
:07:51. > :07:52.the boat after it was attacked by a monster.
:07:53. > :07:57.The waters of the Irish sea off the coast of Galloway.
:07:58. > :07:59.During World War I, German U-boats used this place
:08:00. > :08:05.Royal Navy ships were trying to find and destroy them.
:08:06. > :08:07.Now, engineers laying cable say they have found the wreckage
:08:08. > :08:19.which was sunk in 1918, a 45m long submarine
:08:20. > :08:23.one of about 12 German and British World War I submarines
:08:24. > :08:30.which met their end in the Irish sea.
:08:31. > :08:33.Sonar images from the sea bed show that it's virtually intact.
:08:34. > :08:36.We do really detailed surveys of the sea bed so that we can
:08:37. > :08:38.look out for obstacles which might be in the way,
:08:39. > :08:42.What we did not expect to find was a German U-boat.
:08:43. > :08:45.It's probably the most amazing thing I've ever come across
:08:46. > :08:48.in the whole of my construction experience.
:08:49. > :08:49.The submarine surfaced and was captured by
:08:50. > :08:58.The German crew said they had just survived a fight with a sea monster!
:08:59. > :09:00.Could it have been a relative of Nessie?
:09:01. > :09:04.Loch Ness itself is twice the depth of the North Sea.
:09:05. > :09:09.Who knows what is down there, in maritime and geological terms?
:09:10. > :09:13.What could have actually attacked the submarine?
:09:14. > :09:19.That explanation just muddies the waters, says this historian.
:09:20. > :09:23.This submarine was caught on the surface at night
:09:24. > :09:27.It saw the HM Drifter Coreopsis coming, it attempted to do
:09:28. > :09:32.a crash dive to get away, and the young officer whose job
:09:33. > :09:35.it was too shocked the hatch at the top did not show it properly.
:09:36. > :09:37.And so once the submarine was underwater, it rapidly started
:09:38. > :09:43.So they had no option but to blow all the compressed air out,
:09:44. > :09:48.bring the submarine to the surface and surrender.
:09:49. > :09:50.Seems that the idea of a watery creature
:09:51. > :09:54.defending Britain's shores may have been sunk.
:09:55. > :09:57.I like the idea of Nessie doing her bit for the war effort,
:09:58. > :10:07.but I think in reality, the real sea monster is the U-boat.
:10:08. > :10:11.Celtic's hopes of extending their European campaign
:10:12. > :10:14.beyond Christmas was dealt a severe blow this evening as they suffered
:10:15. > :10:18.a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach
:10:19. > :10:26.Here's our senior football reporter Chris McLaughlan:
:10:27. > :10:32.Yes, a disappointing defeat for Celtic this evening. Favourites in
:10:33. > :10:34.many realise, the Germans however dominated for long spells of the
:10:35. > :11:01.game. Most of the first half possession was German, and even
:11:02. > :11:07.their efforts were saved by the keeper. Some good chances for the
:11:08. > :11:11.home side, but then ten minutes into the second half, Germans took
:11:12. > :11:14.advantage of the lax defence. Celtic pushed for an equaliser, but again
:11:15. > :11:18.that were sliced open at the back, and brassieres made it to nil.
:11:19. > :11:21.Celtic slip to the bottom of the champion was likely. Next for them
:11:22. > :11:23.is Borussia Monchengladbach away in two weeks' time.
:11:24. > :11:26.Let's get the weather from Christopher.
:11:27. > :11:35.Weather-wise denied it is dry, but rather chilly. Towns and cities
:11:36. > :11:40.through the central belt three to five Celsius. Countryside, subzero.
:11:41. > :11:42.A chilly start today tomorrow, a touch of frost on windscreens and
:11:43. > :11:45.grass, and a few mist and fog touch of frost on windscreens and
:11:46. > :11:50.patches but they should quickly go as the sun comes up. One to light
:11:51. > :11:52.showers potentially through the Borders, slow to these clothes, and
:11:53. > :11:56.showers potentially through the though should go as well, but for
:11:57. > :11:58.most of us a dry start with some early brightness here and there.
:11:59. > :12:04.Some cloud, and savages there in the morning very mild, very cold in
:12:05. > :12:08.certain rural spots however. As we head through Thursday, plenty of
:12:09. > :12:12.dry, fine weather in the forecast. Smells of sunshine coming through,
:12:13. > :12:14.one or two showers down the east coast, but Gethin day across the
:12:15. > :12:22.north-east compared to this in the way of sunshine. We have low
:12:23. > :12:27.pressure towards the low countries, showers and East Anglia and the
:12:28. > :12:30.south-east, elsewhere dry, bright, high pressure influence keening
:12:31. > :12:39.conditions. For us in Scotland 11, 12 Scotland, maybe even some sun. So
:12:40. > :12:46.not too bad. The latest run in the muddled and I'd suggest this rain
:12:47. > :12:48.stays away. A dry day. Friday will be dry and bright but more in the
:12:49. > :12:52.way of cloud compared with today and be dry and bright but more in the
:12:53. > :12:58.tomorrow, but still fairly bright. A few spots of light wane in the
:12:59. > :13:02.north-west. Low pressure pushing into the Bay of Biscay drawing an
:13:03. > :13:04.easterly flow, meaning chilly down the east coast throughout because of
:13:05. > :13:08.the weekend, and weather-wise a bit the east coast throughout because of
:13:09. > :13:14.of an split, east meaning cloudy skies and one of two showers, the
:13:15. > :13:19.west is where the best of the sunshine will be a matter before the
:13:20. > :13:20.Northern Ireland, and indeed through England and Wales, and temperatures
:13:21. > :13:23.by the afternoon 12 or 13 degrees. Our next update is during Breakfast
:13:24. > :13:26.at 6:25am tomorrow morning. But, from everyone on the late
:13:27. > :13:31.team - goodnight. Louise will have more details on the
:13:32. > :13:32.weather for the