Newsstories from Scotland

Pink limo for improving truants

A council has defended a decision to reward pupils at an Aberdeenshire school with a trip in a pink stretch limousine for improving attendance.
A project had been launched to reform a group of truants at Banff Academy.
Aberdeenshire Council said the pink stretch limousine trip was organised to mark the project's success.
A spokesman said: "The one-off event was organised at no cost to the school and recognised a significant improvement among the group."
Defending itself against reported parent concerns about such a reward, Aberdeenshire Council told BBC Scotland: "Banff Academy values the hard work of all of its pupils. "This event was merely to recognise a clear change in habits among this particular group."

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Smoking age rise 'within months'

The law will be changed within months to raise the legal age for buying cigarettes, according to the Scottish health minister.
Andy Kerr said legislation on raising the age from 16 to 18 would be put in place by February or March.
However, he added that the change may not be implemented until after the Holyrood elections in May.
He also said a tough approach would be needed to deal with vendors who sold tobacco products to under-age people.
An expert group on smoking prevention made the recommendation on Wednesday.

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Dedicated environment court plans

The Scottish Executive is to carry out a public consultation on plans to create specialist environmental courts.
Environment Minister Ross Finnie said the aim would be to improve the enforcement of environmental law.
Fines could be imposed without a case going to court - a proposal welcomed by environmentalists.
However, the Greens said ministers' last major environment consultation ignored the views of 86% of people on the third party right of appeal issue.
The consultation will focus on issues such as pollution, waste and wildlife crime.
It will examine how training for enforcement authorities could be improved and whether public participation could be increased.

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Climbers die after rescue effort

Two climbers who were found after spending a night in "dreadful" conditions in the Cairngorms have died.
The men, aged 18 and 23, were a student from Aberdeen University and a recent graduate of the university.
They were taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness after being found by rescue teams on Monday morning.
It is suspected the pair, who have not been named by police, were caught out by extreme weather returning from Coire an t-Sneachda on Sunday.
Succumbed to weather
The climbers were found on the hillside about a mile from the Cairngorm Ski area car park, rescuers said.

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Hospital staff in smoking protest

Staff at Dundee's Ninewells Hospital have staged a walkout in protest of new rules on smoking.
Workers have claimed the decision by health chiefs to ban smoking within hospital grounds meant a long walk for a cigarette break.
However, NHS Tayside said it was doing its duty as a health authority, adding that it expected most people to comply with the move.
The short protest was not thought to have disrupted hospital services.
NHS Tayside said the new policy, which has now come into force, meant there would be no smoking by staff, visitors, contractors or out-patients within its buildings or grounds.
The health authority said in a statement: "We think that the majority of people will co-operate with the policy and understand that as a health promoting organisation, NHS Tayside aims to maintain a safe, healthy working environment and protect the health of patients, staff and visitors."

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Man 'knocked out' brother-in-law

A man was left unconscious after being punched by his brother-in-law, Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard.
Terrance Walton fell to the ground after being hit once, banged his head and was knocked out.
Grant Johnston, 30, was placed on probation for a year and given 200 hours community service after admitting assault to Mr Walton's severe injury.
The incident came after Johnston, from Edinburgh, argued with a friend of Mr Walton's in a pub in the city.
The attack took place in Lorne Street, Leith, on 11 March.
The court heard how Mr Walton followed Johnston outside after the scaffolder left the pub.

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