Evening Times

Budget 'Will Aid Recovery' Snp Pledge

THE Scottish Government's budget next year will help the country weather the recession, protect jobs and boost prospects for a strong recovery, Finance Secretary John Swinney said today. He announced details of a GBP232million "accelerated spending" plan, which he TURN TO PAGE 2 claimed reflected the Government's "flexibility in the eye of an economic storm".

Man Held Over Rape of Vice Girl Crime

A MAN has been arrested in connection with the rape of a prostitute in Glasgow. The 34-year-old woman was attacked in Robertson Lane early on December 11.

Snp Budget Gbp230 M Bid to Aid Recovery

FINANCE Secretary John Swinney today announced GBP232million would be spent accelerating public projects to help Scotland beat the recession. Giving details of his Budget for the next year, he said the spending plans would protect jobs and help economic recovery.

Hit-and-Run Killer Jailed for 15 Years Justice

HIT-and-run murderer Rona MacKenzie was today jailed for 15 years. MacKenzie, 46, mowed down Margaret Borris, 39, in a Paisley street before repeatedly driving the car over her as she lay injured.

Man Held Over City Rape

A MAN has been arrested in connection with the rape of a prostitute in Glasgow. The 34-year-old woman was attacked in Robertson Lane, near the Broomielaw, early on Thursday December 11.

Oap Dies in Blaze at House

AN elderly woman died and three people were rescued in three separate house fires in west Scotland. The pensioner died in a fire at her home in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, yesterday afternoon.

Mistake Can Ruin Car Engine

WHEN petrol is put into a diesel fuel tank it can completely ruin the car 's engine. If the mistake is caught before the engine is switched on, the fuel can be sucked out and replaced - a process which costs up to GBP200.

Scotlandtoday

Skull shattered in brutal attack A WOMAN'S head was smashed with such force that it shattered, a court has been told A dislodged piece of Tracey Scott's skull was found near her body after she had been repeatedly beaten with a blunt object, a pathologist told the High Court in Glasgow. Dr Linda Iles was giving evidence at the trial of Paolo Parracho, who denies murdering Miss Scott, 41, at her Paisley home on April 23 last year and robbing her of GBP483.90.

Canal's Star Quality Group Puts Waterway Film Sets On Map in New Guide for Tourists

A CANAL which flows through Glasgow is set to cash in on its occasional role as 'best supporting actor'. In the past 25 years of Taggart, there's been plenty of screen crime on the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal in the city.

Cops Charge Man Over Head in Bag 54-Year-Old for Court After Grisly Hogmanay Fi Nd

A MAN has been charged over the discovery of a human head and bones in a shopping bag on a footpath, police said today. The 54-year-old is accused of defeating the ends of justice after the remains were found in a blue Ikea bag in Newhaven, Edinburgh, on December 31.

Swinney Says Budget Will Boost Economy

THE Scottish Government's Budget for the next year will help the country weather the recession and protect jobs . That's the verdict of Finance Secretary John Swinney who today announced details of a GBP232million "accelerated spending" plan which he claimed reflected the government's "flexibility in the eye of an economic storm".

Spend a Night in Jail to Help Boost Charity

A SCOTS charity is looking for brave residents to take part in a ghost hunt at Inverary Jail. Just like the TV show Most Haunted, volunteers will join an investigation team to spend the night in a haunted jail.

Parents to Get Say On Full Day for P1 Pupils Glasgow Starts Consultation On August Starters

GLASGOW parents are to be asked if they want children starting school to be there all day - from the minute they enter Primary 1. The city's P1 pupils currently go to school until lunchtime for the fi rst six weeks.

Stars Join Burns Night Shows

A-LIST Scots stars are taking to the small screen to celebrate the work of Robert Burns. Ugly Betty's Ashley Jensen and 28 Weeks Later's Robert Carlyle will join a celeb-studded line-up in a series of BBC shows for the 250th anniversary of the poet's birth, on January 25.

Sturgeon Is Slammed Over Parking Claim

HEALTH Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has been slammed for her claims that she has abolished hospital car parking charges. Tory health spokesman Jackson Carlaw condemned her for "self- congratulatory" press releases claiming they had been ditched when they still exist.

Faces in the News

GP Rosalie tells of MBE delight DR Rosalie Dunn today told how she was thrilled to receive an MBE in the New Year Honours list. The GP was honoured for her services to Blantyre.

Scots Want to Be Guitar Heroes

SCOTLAND is a nation of would-be guitarists. In a survey, run by online instrument supplier www. karacha. com, 39-per cent of Scots said they wanted to learn to play guitar.

Gbp200,000 River Revamp Gets Started

A GBP200,000 Scottish Water river revamp is to get under way next week. The project, at Broom Burn, Whitecraigs Golf Course, Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, will reduce waste spills.

Chaos to Come As M-Way Sliproad Closed for Repairs M8 Off-Ramp to Shut for Work On New M74 Link

DRIVERS have been warned of three weeks of chaos at one of Glasgow's busiest motorway slip roads. The Junction 21 offramp at Springfield Quay, on the South Side - used by motorists travelling east into the city from the M8 and M77 - is to be closed to allow work on the M74 extension.

Thugs Launch 2nd Attack On City Vehicles Bus Firm Offers Reward to Catch Missile Gangs

A WOMAN almost lost an eye when a thug threw a rock through the window of a car in the second of two attacks in Glasgow's South Side. The 46-year-old, who has not been named, was in the passenger seat of a Renault Laguna driving along Cowglen Road at the Silverburn Centre when the stone crashed through the window.