Evening Times

Summer of Film Fun for Kids; Blockbuster Special: Our Movie Critic Andy Dougan On This Year's Big Hits for the Holidays

CINEMA managers throughout the country are bracing themselves for the summer season. School's out and that means foyers covered with popcorn, sticky fingermarks on every surface, and children fuelled by more sweets and fizzy drinks than is good for them.

Scots Rape Victims Set to Get New Helpline; Glasgow Centre to Expand

A CONFIDENTIAL national helpline is set to be launched to help rape victims in Scotland. A Rape Crisis centre will also be set up in Lanarkshire, while the Glasgow service will expand to offer a drop-in centre and group support.

Families Caught Up in War

YET again we see the terrible price of war shown on our TV screens and in our newspapers. This time, though, it is a little nearer home, when the soldier murdered in Iraq is a young Glasgow man.

Glasgow Airport Gets (Pounds) 14 Direct Flights to Geneva; Flyglobespan's Winter Scheduled Flights to Switzerland Are Aimed at Skiing Market

GLASGOW Airport today secured its first direct scheduled flights to Switzerland. Scots low-cost airline, Flyglobespan, will run five services a week to Geneva from just before Christmas until Easter for the ski season.

Happy Day Gives Guests Cash Blues

YET another wedding invite dropped through my letterbox a few days ago. I should have been overjoyed that my best friend wanted to settle down with her soul mate, but all these wedding invitations are costing me a fortune.

Spit Attack Teenager Locked Up

A teenager who spat on a sheriff clerk while appearing in court has been locked up for reports. William Cameron, 19, of Tannahill Road, Ferguslie Park, Paisley, yawned loudly in the town's sheriff court as he was told he would be sentenced later by a visiting sheriff because of his victim.

Staff Pick Right Cause for Wrong Trousers

THESE workers at Tesco in Glasgow take helping sick kids in their stride. The 15 staff from St Rollox in Springburn donned the giant 30- legged pair of slacks in aid of the Wallace and Gromit's Wrong Trousers day.

Alert As Thieves Grab Crossbow and Swords; Police Hunt Is Launched for Replica Weapons Used in Mock Historical Battles

POLICE fear replica battle weapons stolen from a van could be used on the streets. The (pounds) 2500 haul included 30in-long swords, a longbow and arrows, a crossbow and knives.

Beetle Boom Hits Heather

AN explosion of the number of heather beetles is threatening to destroy acres of moorland in the north of Scotland. The Game Conservancy Trust and Scottish Natural Heritage are calling on landowners to report any outbreaks of the species so they can carry out research and put control measures in place.

Mystery Donor Pays Off (Pounds) 13,000

A MYSTERY donor has paid (pounds) 13,000 to settle a legal bill of a former police officer who faced having her assets frozen by Strathclyde Police. The force had launched legal moves to recover the cash from former policewoman Shirley McKie.

Msp Launches Bid to Axe Unelected Health Chiefs; Glasgow Bosses Would Lose Highly-Paid Jobs Under Plans to Give Public More Power

GLASGOW'S unelected NHS bosses could be swept from power in just three years if proposals unveiled today are passed. City MSP Bill Butler has published plans to replace at least some of the highly-paid officials and appointees on Scotland's powerful health boards with elected members.

How City's Health Board Shapes Up

Greater Glasgow NHS Board, although larger than most boards, is typical in its make-up. It is chaired by an independent layman, Sir John Arbuthnott, who was appointed by the health minister.

(Pounds) 50,000 Cocaine Gang Get 23 Years

TWO murderers and a major drugs dealer have been jailed for a total of 23 years over a seizure of cocaine worth (pounds) 50,000. George Forrester, 36, and killers Edward Burke, 56, and Alan Brown, 59, were all found guilty at the High Court in Airdrie of being concerned in the supply the drug.

Jobs for Disabled Workers

A MAJOR campaign is under way to help unemployed people with disabilities get work. Remploy Interwork, the UK's biggest employer of disabled people, needs staff to work in areas including administration, retail, telecoms marketing and cleaning.

Rise in Numbers Saved by Clyde Coastguard

THE number of people rescued from Scotland's west coast waters has soared in the past year. The Clyde Coastguard service has revealed that in 2003, 288 people had to be rescued, compared to 158 the year before.

Science Centre Axes Jobs After (Pounds) 4m Boost; Union Fury Over Redundancies After Pay-Out Secures Visitor Attraction's Future

A SHOWPIECE Glasgow visitor centre awarded more than (pounds) 4million of public money to secure its future is to shed a fifth of its workforce. Bosses at Glasgow Science Centre have announced 18 compulsory redundancies, sparking a row with unions who are threatening legal action.

Water Firm Gives 1000 Computers to Pupils

Bosses at Scottish Water are to donate more than 1000 computers to schools after being left with a huge surplus following restructuring. The PCs will be given mainly to schools with a high number of low income families in their catchment areas.

(Pounds) 7m Boost for Waterfront Revamp Plan; Cash to Upgrade Rundown Parts of Clydebank

PLANS to revitalise Clydebank's rundown waterfront were given a (pounds) 7million boost today. The money will be used to regenerate part of the town centre and the Carless and Queens Quay, using the landmark Titan Crane as a focal point.

Bosses Work a 7-Day Week

ONE in five managers toiled for the equivalent of seven days a week as workload levels soared, research revealed today. The study painted a dismal picture of managers who are overworked, undervalued and insecure, with family life suffering as a result.

Sir Arnold in Top Gear

Scots motor trade tycoon Arnold Clark has been knighted by the Queen to mark his creation of his own empire. Honoured for services to industry and the community, the 76-year- old received the award from the Queen during a ceremony at Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh.