26/01/2012 Reporting Scotland


26/01/2012

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Welcome to Reporting Scotland. Tonight on your national news:

:00:14.:00:16.

A legal first as police reopen their investigation into the

:00:16.:00:25.

unsolved murder of this Asian waiter in 1998. His family hoped to

:00:25.:00:30.

get justice. Today is the second chance for the Crown Office to do

:00:30.:00:34.

the right thing and also to show there has been a positive change 13

:00:34.:00:36.

years later. Also in the programme:

:00:36.:00:39.

The campaign for the new high-speed link to be extended to Scotland.

:00:39.:00:48.

Politicians north and south of the border join forces. You don't need

:00:48.:00:51.

to use this word. French lessons with a footballing

:00:51.:00:53.

kick. We meet the Inverness players who've swapped the training ground

:00:54.:00:56.

for the classroom. And he doesn't look like he's built

:00:56.:00:58.

for speed, but scientists say Shetland ponies and racehorses have

:00:58.:01:07.

Surjit Singh Chhokar was murdered in North Lanarkshire 13 years ago

:01:07.:01:10.

but despite three arrests and two trials no-one has ever been found

:01:10.:01:15.

guilty. But now Strathclyde Police are being instructed to carry out a

:01:15.:01:19.

fresh investigation into the waiter's killing. It's the first

:01:19.:01:22.

investigation to be reopened since changes to the law which mean the

:01:22.:01:25.

men orginally accused of the murder could face trial again, as Stephen

:01:25.:01:34.

Godden reports. 13 years after Surjit Singh

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Chhokar's brutal murder, his family's quest for justice took

:01:38.:01:42.

them through the doors of the Crown Office. It has been a monument to

:01:42.:01:47.

their anger per so long, and frustration, but they emerged

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satisfied today, convinced -- having convinced law officers to

:01:52.:01:57.

reopen the investigation. Today is the second chance for them to do

:01:57.:02:00.

the right thing and to show that has been a positive change 13 years

:02:00.:02:05.

later. Surjit's family will be at peace when there is just as. It is

:02:05.:02:08.

up to the lord advocate and Strathclyde Police to do everything

:02:08.:02:14.

possible. The Asian waiter was stabbed to death in a street in

:02:14.:02:24.

1998. Three men were charged with his murder. After a two separate

:02:24.:02:28.

trials in which they blamed each other, all three were acquitted. In

:02:28.:02:33.

the controversy that followed, the then Lord Advocate said the legal

:02:33.:02:39.

system had failed but family. Reform has brought hope. Changes to

:02:39.:02:43.

the double jeopardy law have opened doors into a fresh investigation

:02:43.:02:47.

encouraging Surjit's sister to speak out. People that have

:02:47.:02:55.

forgotten Surjit's name will remember it. All we have asked for

:02:55.:02:59.

is just as old but this is the first case to be reinvestigated

:02:59.:03:02.

since the new law came into effect and the Crown Office are

:03:02.:03:06.

considering others warning that the passage of time should be no

:03:06.:03:11.

protection for those when there is compelling evidence of guilt.

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Plenty of obstacles lie ahead but for the family, this is a step in

:03:16.:03:19.

the right direction. The First Minister Alex Salmond has

:03:20.:03:22.

invited his political opponents at Holyrood to join cross-party talks

:03:22.:03:26.

on the planned independence referendum. Mr Salmond said he

:03:26.:03:28.

believed such talks would make "a positive contribution" to the

:03:28.:03:32.

process of settling the rules for the referendum. Our Political

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Editor, Brian Taylor, is in the parliament for us this evening.

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First Minister's Questions might indicate how the campaigning could

:03:39.:03:49.
:03:49.:03:49.

take shape? I think that is right. This is the letter that has gone

:03:49.:03:54.

out to the opposition party leaders and also to the independent MSP,

:03:54.:03:58.

Margo MacDonald. It is offering talks to pave the way to settle the

:03:58.:04:02.

rules and regulations of the referendum and the sub-standard

:04:02.:04:06.

argument will be the core of that referendum will be there for

:04:06.:04:13.

everybody to see. Alex Salmond made a forecast that Scotland will have

:04:13.:04:18.

independence. On the other side, the Labour Party, they didn't say

:04:18.:04:24.

that Scotland could be independent, but Johann moment was casting doubt

:04:24.:04:29.

about the outcome, an advocate and caught trying to sow doubt in the

:04:29.:04:33.

minds of the jury. Why is he prepared to take unnecessary risks

:04:33.:04:38.

with people's mortgage, savings, pensions, in the midst of the worst

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economic global crisis since the 1930s for no good reasons? Scotland

:04:44.:04:54.
:04:54.:04:55.

will emerge as an independent country would be six -- 6th highest

:04:55.:05:04.

head by a head count of wealth in the UK. MSPs also debated

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Scotland's right to self- determination as well. This is

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about Scotland's future but there was a history lesson on display and

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those are the you with longer memories, look at these. 1989, the

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signing of the claim of right, part of the constitutional Convention,

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leading to a detailed scheme of devolution and that in itself

:05:26.:05:33.

became the plan for this Parliament. The SNP acknowledge the sovereign

:05:33.:05:37.

right of the Scottish people to decide the best government suited

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to their needs, and they advocated that as a form of self

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determination. Add the second question on maximum devolution. The

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double Democrats and Labour, Corps were there in 1989, pointed out the

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SNP had not been part of the Convention and did not sign the

:05:54.:05:59.

document and were not in a position to lecture. I think it was a score

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draw this afternoon, but many such skirmishes to come.

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The teenager who killed his classmate has been explaining to a

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High Court jury why he took a knife to meet him. Craig Roy has begun

:06:10.:06:13.

giving evidence in his own defence on the seventh day of the trial in

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which he denies murdering 16-year- old Jack Frew. From the High Court,

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our Home Affairs correspondent Reevel Alderson reports.

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Arriving at the High Court, Craig Roy was to begin to tell his story

:06:26.:06:31.

to the jury, particularly why he took a knife to meet a classmate.

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That classmate was Jack Frew who Craig Roy said had been

:06:35.:06:39.

blackmailing him. 19-year-old Craig Roy moved from the dock to the

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witness box to give his evidence. He did so without wearing his

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glasses explaining he didn't like speaking in public and felt more

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comfortable when he could not see people. He told the jury that Jack

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Frew, a chemistry class made of his in the High School, had been

:06:56.:07:00.

blackmailing him. He had threatened to tell his boyfriend of a sexual

:07:00.:07:05.

encounter they had had at school. He said that on the night on a 6th

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2010, he had reluctantly agreed to meet Jack and he had taken a knife.

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He said, I wanted to scare him and protect myself because I didn't

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know what he was capable of. On two occasions, here at this high-school,

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Craig Roy said he had performed sex acts on Jack Frew, and before he

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killed him, he's at -- he received a text message which made him angry.

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He was in a relationship with another boy but admitted he was

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jealous and paranoid. He felt angry after the arguments. He told the

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jury, I was hurting us of, scratching myself and sometimes I

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would spit on the wall. He had hit his head on the ball might he was

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having an epileptic fit. I would scratch myself with my nails. I

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would not be satisfied until I drew blood. Craig Roy, who denies

:07:56.:08:00.

murdering Jack Frew, continues giving evidence tomorrow.

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You're watching Reporting Scotland from the BBC. Still to come on the

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programme: How starling aerobatics like this

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over Scotland could soon be a thing of the past.

:08:09.:08:13.

In sport, trial by television. That's what some SPL managers are

:08:13.:08:17.

calling it. Find out why they're angry at the Scottish FA's new

:08:17.:08:20.

system for tightening up on field discipline.

:08:20.:08:23.

And we're in Melbourne as Andy Murray prepares to face the best

:08:23.:08:26.

tennis player in the world in the semi-finals of the Australian Open.

:08:26.:08:34.

The Scottish Government is planning to form an alliance with

:08:34.:08:37.

politicians in the north of England to try to shorten train journeys to

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London. It wants to work with them to make sure the planned high-speed

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rail link between London and Birmingham is extended as far as

:08:45.:08:53.

Edinburgh and Glasgow. Our correspondent reports.

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After years of expensive improvements, the train journey

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from London to Glasgow are still typically takes about 4.5 hours.

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The UK Government's plans for high- speed lines could cut this time but

:09:04.:09:10.

the new lines will not come all the way to Scotland, to the

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disappointment of some. You need to did the whole way, why do you need

:09:14.:09:20.

to stop Mid country? I have got to get the journey into a morning,

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afternoon or evening, but I would prefer to do it by train. The UK

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Government wants to build a high- speed line between London and the

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Midlands, extending it to Leeds and Manchester which could have knock-

:09:31.:09:37.

on benefits for Scotland. The stage of the Investment reduces crane

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times to Glasgow and Edinburgh, too, because the trains will run as

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through services so it is a benefit to Scotland. But the Scottish

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Government wants a firm commitment to far more. High-speed lines

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further North and an -- and on our side of the border. One of my tasks

:09:58.:10:02.

today is to start the process of forming an alliance with our

:10:02.:10:06.

friends in a North of England to join forces to force the issue on

:10:06.:10:10.

the UK Government that they will recognise the needs of the North of

:10:10.:10:14.

England and Scotland and bring the high-speed line North. Announcing a

:10:14.:10:19.

decision to give the go-ahead to High Speed Two. Some are fighting

:10:19.:10:26.

the existing proposals. It is about the monumental outlay of money,

:10:26.:10:31.

when the country is in dire straits. The UK Government says it is a

:10:31.:10:35.

vision for a truly national high- speed network but there is no

:10:35.:10:43.

definite move to extend theTo reach Edinburgh or Glasgow.

:10:43.:10:47.

A fatal accident inquiry is to be held into the death of the toddler

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Declan Hainey, who was murdered by his mother, Kimberley. She was

:10:49.:10:53.

found guilty last month of killing him at her flat in Paisley, then

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failing to report his death and concealing his body. It was

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discovered in March 2010 when Declan would have been 23 months

:11:00.:11:03.

old. Experts said he'd been dead for several months.

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The starling is one of Scotland's most common birds but there's been

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a dramatic drop in numbers in recent years, leading to fears that

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the remarkable displays which the birds perform in our winter skies

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could become a thing of the past. Our Environment Correspondent,

:11:14.:11:24.
:11:24.:11:36.

It is one of Scotland's greatest natural spectacles. Huge clouds of

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starlings Twister and Spain, turning the sky is dark as the

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birds prepared to roost near Gretna Green. But numbers are falling

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sharply and it is thought changing weather patterns could be to blame.

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Numbers have declined quite dramatically in the last decade or

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so, with three-quarters of starlings -- having disappeared.

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The birds you see in Gretna, with the spectacular displays, are birds

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that have come in from Scandinavia, Russia, and they spend the winter

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here. Their numbers have gone down as well, so we have got a decline

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in starlings across the whole of the Europe. The RSPB's Great Bird

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Watch takes place this weekend and the public are being urged to count

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not just starlings but all the birds they see. We are asking

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people to count their garden birds, house sparrows, bruited to the etc,

:12:35.:12:39.

all of those that he would see every day. We want them to spend

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one hour counting these birds and submitting their results to us.

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can people do that? You can do it on the internet or post. Regardless

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of what you see, is submit everything to Ed -- everything to

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us. Trying to count starlings is not a good idea. If you get the

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chance to witness scenes like these, it is probably best just to stand

:13:07.:13:17.
:13:17.:13:20.

Astonishing sight. A look at what else has been happening: a photo of

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a man with a tattoo of a spider and the words, a hard core forever on

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his arm. He is wanted for in connection with

:13:29.:13:35.

the murder of a Polish man in late. The regulator of, has confirmed

:13:35.:13:40.

that the Royal Mail's service obligation will now be limited to

:13:40.:13:45.

second class only. There are fears that rule Scotland will be severely

:13:45.:13:50.

affected. During a visit to be valid from

:13:50.:13:56.

today, it has been announced that athletes resident outside the UK

:13:56.:14:02.

will not pay any income tax. there was a hurdle, that could put

:14:02.:14:09.

them off so we want this to be the best games.

:14:09.:14:17.

Possible options to prevent a repeat of Stonehaven's floods in

:14:17.:14:21.

2009 were unveiled today. Protesters greeted councillors

:14:21.:14:26.

considering plans for an offshore wind farm. Donald Trump claims that

:14:26.:14:29.

the turbines will spoil the view from his golf course in

:14:29.:14:33.

Aberdeenshire. Aberdeenshire council does not have

:14:33.:14:38.

the final say on this wind farm. That rests with Murray in Scotland

:14:38.:14:44.

and Scottish ministers. The Scottish Government is

:14:44.:14:48.

confirmed more money to help build the Victoria and Albert Museum in

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Dundee. It will form part of Dundee's rejuvenated waterfront.

:14:55.:14:59.

The rock press music festival will be had lined this year by Pc Clive

:14:59.:15:09.
:15:09.:15:14.

It is a stirring tale of wartime survival. Four Norwegians escaped

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the Nazis and sailed for Scotland, landing in Aberdeenshire. 70 years

:15:21.:15:25.

later, the boat they used just about to return home.

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She might be showing her age but this is a boat with a remarkable

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history. She has languished here for many years but is now being

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prepared for her return home to Norway.

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Her story begins in 1940 without a's occupation of Norway. Thousands

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of Norwegians sought escape, many by sea. A year later, four of them

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stole a boat from a Nazi collaborator and set off from the

:15:57.:16:03.

tip of Norway. Four days later, after a hazardous journey, they

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made it to Scotland. A lot of them got into small, open boat, this

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size, and crossed the open sea. About 10% of them just simply

:16:15.:16:21.

perished. There were either lost at sea or cot by the Germans who

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executed a them instantly. One of the men, seen here on the

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right, returned to Scotland in 1982 to see the boat. She was being used

:16:31.:16:36.

in the Scottish fishing industry. But in recent years she has been

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deteriorating. Then last year, some visitors arrived.

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On the exact day, 70 years from the moment their father are arrived in

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Scotland, the two sons turned up here there we are standing and

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looked at the spot. This was the bought that brought their father on

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this extraordinary voyage across the North Sea.

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The boat is now being prepared for her return to Norway and a place in

:17:07.:17:15.

a museum where she was built. There will be a proper send-off

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with pipe band and local schoolchildren before this amazing

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little vessel finally returns home. And Inverness secondary school has

:17:26.:17:30.

signed up two Premier League footballers to help boost its

:17:30.:17:35.

people's performance in French. Two of Caledonian Thistle's players

:17:35.:17:39.

have become regular visitors to Millburn Academy where they coach

:17:39.:17:44.

in their native language. School just got super-cool for

:17:44.:17:53.

pupils studying French at Millburn Academy in Inverness. Courting them

:17:53.:18:01.

in French, it can help them. -- coaching.

:18:01.:18:07.

I used to be taught by the gaffer at the football club and now I am

:18:07.:18:12.

back in school teaching kids French. It is very difficult but it is a

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good thing to do. The two French men, back at

:18:16.:18:21.

training this morning, have proved to be a lethal combination on the

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Pitfield. -- on the pitch. I am a Caledonian Thistle fan so

:18:29.:18:34.

why go to every game every week, so it is good.

:18:34.:18:38.

They can help us understand the words better and with how to

:18:38.:18:44.

pronounce the words, because sometimes if we kept, how do we say

:18:44.:18:54.
:18:54.:18:57.

that, and they are good as helping You do not need to use this word...

:18:57.:19:04.

Teachers are the consigned to the bench for the weekly sessions.

:19:04.:19:10.

To have people in the class as role models, and to help the pupils

:19:10.:19:14.

practise for exams and day-to-day conversation, it helps them just

:19:14.:19:20.

gain so much more confidence. The coaching will not just be

:19:20.:19:24.

confined to the classroom. Some people's will be able to play

:19:24.:19:31.

football with their idols, but only in French.

:19:31.:19:37.

And now we have the sport outside the classroom.

:19:37.:19:42.

Andy Murray will play Spain's Rafael Nadal in the final of the

:19:42.:19:46.

Australian Open if and only if he can get the better of the best

:19:46.:19:53.

player in the world, Novak Djokovic. Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer in

:19:53.:20:03.
:20:03.:20:10.

the first semi-final today. Andy Murray and Djokovic play tomorrow.

:20:10.:20:19.

Australia Day. At time for locals young and old to celebrate all

:20:19.:20:25.

things Australian. Most of Australia has downed tools for

:20:25.:20:30.

their national holiday but there is no let up for Andy Murray. A double

:20:30.:20:35.

session on the practice courts for him.

:20:35.:20:40.

Novak Djokovic crashed Murray in straight sets in last year's final.

:20:40.:20:44.

How much will that play on his smile when he steps into the arena

:20:44.:20:50.

tomorrow? It will not be on my mind. I do not

:20:50.:20:54.

think about the past much. I learned a lot from that match last

:20:54.:21:04.
:21:04.:21:04.

year. That will help me in the match on the day. I will just be

:21:04.:21:09.

thinking about the tactics for the day and tried to do the best I can

:21:09.:21:13.

to win the match. The defending champion has again

:21:13.:21:17.

looked formidable this fortnight but he is expecting a different

:21:17.:21:22.

Murray from ten months ago. -- from 12 months ago.

:21:22.:21:26.

He has made some changes and he looks fit, he has been playing well,

:21:26.:21:36.

and he is definitely very motivated to win his first Grand Slam. I hope

:21:36.:21:40.

I can repeat the same thing as I did last year but it is definitely

:21:40.:21:50.
:21:50.:21:53.

going to take a lot of effort to be It has been called trial by

:21:53.:21:56.

television and some Premier League clubs are unhappy with it to say

:21:56.:22:01.

the least. Motherwell and Ted's have criticised the Scottish FA's

:22:01.:22:10.

new procedure on tightening up on players' behaviour during matches.

:22:10.:22:14.

Heading home from Hampden disappointed, this man will miss

:22:14.:22:19.

his side's next match due to a gesture. This is the incident in

:22:19.:22:25.

question. The referee missed it. The celebration and then the

:22:25.:22:30.

gesture but to who and why? Given the fact it was not picked up at

:22:30.:22:36.

the time, are we heading towards trial by television?

:22:36.:22:40.

There was a two game ban. His boss thinks that poring over pictures

:22:40.:22:44.

after they came to spot what the referee missed his not the way

:22:45.:22:47.

forward. Let them referee the game, they

:22:48.:22:52.

will not get everything right, but that is the way Scotland --

:22:52.:22:58.

football has always been. Stuart McCall is also no fan but he

:22:58.:23:02.

is now more concerned about the process.

:23:02.:23:08.

What is offensive and what is not? The panel said it was low-end, and

:23:08.:23:18.
:23:18.:23:26.

certainly could it -- not Tonight on a social networking site,

:23:26.:23:36.
:23:36.:23:39.

an SFA spokesman described the Scientists have discovered that the

:23:39.:23:43.

gene associated with speed in racehorses is commonly found in

:23:43.:23:49.

Shetland ponies. They are tiny but tough. Shetland

:23:49.:23:54.

ponies are known for their stamina but could these little legs

:23:54.:23:59.

galloped to victory in a Grand National? Not as ridiculous as you

:23:59.:24:04.

think. The gene that makes these resources winner's is most commonly

:24:04.:24:11.

found in Shetland ponies. I have always thought she was a pure

:24:11.:24:21.
:24:21.:24:22.

thoroughbred! She is very lazy, does very little and eats every day.

:24:22.:24:28.

We have got the help of a prize- winning horse breeder.

:24:28.:24:32.

You want someone who is well balanced and who walks well and

:24:32.:24:41.

looks the part. A big backside, and looking strong. So really, arise

:24:41.:24:45.

can judge at that level. We will pit the scientist to the

:24:45.:24:55.
:24:55.:24:58.

test. We have this shell and Bonnie verses at former racehorse. She is

:24:58.:25:03.

a little bit on the slow side so let us see if the genes come to the

:25:03.:25:13.
:25:13.:25:30.

Not exactly a photo-finish but at least the trainer is pleased. With

:25:30.:25:36.

legs like these, that is no mean feat.

:25:36.:25:45.

Some snow flurries for some of us but not surprising for the end of

:25:45.:25:51.

January. It will be cold and icy tonight. There will be continuing

:25:51.:25:55.

showers working north across the country, turning wintry of our

:25:55.:26:04.

higher ground with sleet to lower levels. For most of us, down to

:26:04.:26:11.

freezing or just under. As low as- four or in some places in the

:26:11.:26:16.

Highlands. There will be cloud in the South West tomorrow morning but

:26:16.:26:20.

does well clear quickly. Elsewhere, relatively dry and bright and

:26:20.:26:24.

improving as we go through the afternoon, thanks to this small

:26:24.:26:30.

ridge of high pressure. By mid- afternoon, 3pm, probably the best

:26:30.:26:36.

afternoon of the week. Plenty of sunshine a in the forecast. But it

:26:36.:26:46.
:26:46.:26:49.

will be called. -- it will be cold. For the rest of the afternoon and

:26:49.:26:55.

into the evening, staying dry for much of the country. There will be

:26:55.:27:01.

as hard frost. Into the weekend, the battle-lines are drawn. High

:27:01.:27:05.

pressure centred over Scandinavia is working its way to Scotland.

:27:05.:27:12.

Some milder air in the Atlantic. The weather fronts will bring the

:27:12.:27:22.
:27:22.:27:23.

brain and that will meet with us here on Saturday. -- the rain. By

:27:23.:27:28.

Sunday, the rain really gets its act together and turned to snow

:27:28.:27:33.

over the hills as well. Cloudy day for everyone with highs of four or

:27:33.:27:38.

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