:01:19. > :01:23.Tonight on Reporting Scotland: Police say they have had a good
:01:23. > :01:26.response from the public in their hunt for a rapist who attacked two
:01:26. > :01:32.women in the centre of Glasgow in the early hours of yesterday
:01:32. > :01:35.morning. A 20-year-old woman was sexually assaulted, and minutes
:01:35. > :01:38.later, a 22-year-old woman was raped on the same street.
:01:38. > :01:40.Crimestoppers has tonight offered a reward of �5,000 for the arrest and
:01:40. > :01:43.conviction of the attacker. Emergency services were called to
:01:43. > :01:45.the town's Weaver Terrace late last night following reports that a man
:01:45. > :01:55.had been injured. 21-year-old Stephen Pollok was found dead at
:01:55. > :02:02.
:02:02. > :02:09.the scene. Police say their inquiries are at an early stage.
:02:09. > :02:19.The first attack happened here. That second attack happened 15
:02:19. > :02:20.
:02:20. > :02:25.minutes later. Their access ramp across the road. The second attack
:02:25. > :02:30.came to the police's attention, because the victim was able to flag
:02:30. > :02:36.down a delivery driver, and he drove into the street where the
:02:36. > :02:41.police had arrived. The attacks happened in this street, but police
:02:41. > :02:48.believe the man was hanging around for three-quarters of an hour.
:02:48. > :02:52.There have been very helpful and strong. What I would say is that
:02:52. > :02:57.one of them struggled quite vigorously with this man, and he
:02:57. > :03:02.may have injuries or scratches. I cannot confirm it, but it is
:03:02. > :03:11.possible. This is mainly a business district. It has made women to
:03:11. > :03:21.think about their own safety. a very dark airier, and at night
:03:21. > :03:21.
:03:21. > :03:26.time, there is nobody around a. Police are hopeful somebody will be
:03:26. > :03:31.able to identify this man from the CCTV image. It may be the
:03:31. > :03:37.distinctive watch worn on his right-wing let -- dressed, or
:03:37. > :03:41.unexplained scratches. Crime stoppers have put up a reward of
:03:41. > :03:45.�5,000. Police have launched a murder
:03:45. > :03:55.inquiry after a man was shot dead after a disturbance at house in
:03:55. > :04:10.
:04:10. > :04:15.Paisley. It is a terrible loss of a life. I want to appeal to people -
:04:15. > :04:18.put yourself in his family and their position. Anyone with any
:04:18. > :04:22.information, please come forward and help us to establish how
:04:22. > :04:24.Stephen died. The Crown Office has tonight
:04:24. > :04:27.announced that there will be a fatal accident inquiry into the
:04:27. > :04:30.death of young Declan Hainey in Paisley. Last week, his mother
:04:30. > :04:33.Kimberley was found guilty of his murder. The news broke tonight
:04:33. > :04:43.after the issue was raised at Holyrood by the new Labour leader
:04:43. > :04:44.
:04:44. > :04:51.Johann Lamont, who was confronting Alex Salmond for the first time.
:04:51. > :04:59.Surrounded by her supporters, the New Labour leader, looking for to
:04:59. > :05:04.confronting Alex Salmond? I am relishing it! Johann Lamont is the
:05:04. > :05:09.fourth Labour leader to question him. Where the opposition are bring
:05:09. > :05:18.forward. Of substance that the government will be prepared to take
:05:18. > :05:22.common cause. And out of business. A moment's laughter, but the
:05:22. > :05:28.business was solemn - the tragic death of baby Declan Hainey,
:05:28. > :05:32.murdered by his mother. Johann Lamont urged an urgent
:05:33. > :05:37.investigation. We have a counsel of despair. There is nothing that
:05:37. > :05:43.government can do. But if we worked together, if we are honest, we can
:05:43. > :05:48.get this right. We can't afford a gap between what we say we care
:05:48. > :05:52.about, a rhetoric, and the reality in Scotland's home. There has to be
:05:52. > :05:59.a connection between what we see and how people live. Alex Salmon
:05:59. > :06:03.said such issues were under constant review. There is
:06:03. > :06:08.substantial evidence that departments, as a result of
:06:08. > :06:12.inspections, are performing much better than they were before.
:06:13. > :06:17.Johann Lamont is asking for a guarantee that there will never be
:06:17. > :06:23.a tragic circumstance. I cannot give that guarantee! No politician
:06:23. > :06:29.can. A sensitive topic to choose, but overall, deftly handled by the
:06:29. > :06:33.New Labour leader. She was speaking as a mother. She turned down the
:06:33. > :06:40.political rhetoric, and sought to resonate with popular concerns.
:06:40. > :06:44.Brian Taylor joins me now from Holyrood. Plans announced for an
:06:44. > :06:51.inquiry into the case of Declan Hainey. That was raised by Johann
:06:51. > :06:55.Lamont. It was indeed. It was the substance of her concern. She was
:06:56. > :07:00.asking for a wider, independent investigation. We do have an
:07:00. > :07:04.announcement, taking the first steps towards what should be a
:07:04. > :07:09.fatal accident inquiry where there are issues of wider public concern,
:07:09. > :07:14.or general concern of, or public safety to be raised. The First
:07:14. > :07:18.Minister was constrained when he was answering questions, because
:07:18. > :07:25.there was the prospect of this inquiry in the wings, and also, of
:07:26. > :07:33.course, we do not have the details of the sentence upon Kimberley.
:07:33. > :07:38.Another issue at Holyrood, MSPs criticising the UK government's
:07:38. > :07:44.plans to changes to the welfare system. Welfare is a reserved power
:07:44. > :07:49.to Westminster, is is meaningful? It is not significant in terms of
:07:49. > :07:56.changing the benefits regime. Plans will go ahead. Holyrood does not
:07:56. > :07:59.have power to block those. There are consequences for these changes.
:07:59. > :08:03.Holyrood is saying, instead of allowing that to be lumped under
:08:03. > :08:10.the UK Bill, the Scottish Parliament would take decisions on
:08:10. > :08:14.those. Why? That allows scrutiny by a committee here at Holyrood,
:08:14. > :08:19.perhaps putting pressure back on the UK government on this issue,
:08:19. > :08:22.but I stress, it does not stop those changes happening.
:08:23. > :08:24.You're watching Reporting Scotland from the BBC. Still to come on the
:08:24. > :08:27.programme: Large parts of Skye and the Western
:08:27. > :08:29.Isles are without electricity, but Scottish Power say they are
:08:29. > :08:32.spending millions to keep the lights on through the winter.
:08:32. > :08:39.In sport, the Hearts midfielder Ryan Stevenson goes on strike over
:08:39. > :08:42.the late payment of wages. And just how likely is it that the
:08:42. > :08:51.former Rangers striker Kris Boyd will soon be in the hoops of Old
:08:51. > :08:53.Firm rivals Celtic? There are calls today for
:08:53. > :08:58.protection of Scottish links to Heathrow Airport following the
:08:58. > :09:01.takeover of the airline BMI by its rival British Airways. The boss of
:09:01. > :09:10.the new airline says it will be good for customers, but not
:09:10. > :09:15.everyone's so sure. This is a great story for the UK. This will give
:09:15. > :09:18.consumers better choice going forward. This will allow us to
:09:18. > :09:24.expand our network, provide opportunities for business and
:09:24. > :09:28.tourism, to connect to the emerging markets. I am concerned that we
:09:28. > :09:35.might find ourselves back in the position we were a number of years
:09:35. > :09:40.ago, where British Airways owned the caviar at we were flying into.
:09:40. > :09:45.The choice might be undermined, and prizes might go up. For the health
:09:45. > :09:51.of the nation, it would be better if there was more competition.
:09:51. > :09:55.Our business editor, Douglas Fraser, is here to unpack this for us.
:09:55. > :10:02.There are more links between the UK and the rest of the world, but
:10:02. > :10:07.probably at a price. Possibly at higher ticket prices, and what is
:10:07. > :10:12.happening is that BMI is a losing money, and British -- at British
:10:12. > :10:17.Airways wants to get valuable landing slots. They want to make
:10:17. > :10:21.them long-haul flights where they make more money. The Edinburgh,
:10:21. > :10:29.Aberdeen, but you will have no more competition between BMI British
:10:29. > :10:35.Airways. That all lightly put prices up. Can we expect any
:10:35. > :10:40.protection for Scottish travellers? British Airways should -- says
:10:40. > :10:44.there should be more than enough capacity. He says, you have a
:10:44. > :10:50.choice. If you want a good to London, you can get the train. But
:10:50. > :10:52.this matters not just for those of us planning our holidays, it is
:10:52. > :10:56.important for international business travellers and tourists
:10:57. > :11:01.who are coming and you want convenience and competitively
:11:01. > :11:06.priced at flight. They might not come here. The regulators might get
:11:06. > :11:12.involved, and put conditions on this deal to protect the UK. Also,
:11:12. > :11:18.there is a in regional division of BMI. There are smaller planes not
:11:18. > :11:22.using Heathrow. There have been talks between at Scottish Aviation
:11:22. > :11:27.in best does today that over. Those talks are behind schedule, they are
:11:27. > :11:33.going on, they have got a few weeks to ensure they reach a deal. If
:11:33. > :11:35.they don't, British Airways gets that regional division.
:11:35. > :11:38.Some of the other stories across Scotland this Thursday: Abdelbaset
:11:38. > :11:43.al-Megrahi has given what he's described as his "last interview",
:11:43. > :11:46.and again denied any involvement in the Lockerbie bombing. Megrahi is
:11:46. > :11:52.the only person to have been convicted in connection with the
:11:52. > :11:54.1988 attack which killed 270 people. He was released on compassionate
:11:54. > :11:59.grounds in 2009, after being diagnosed with cancer, and returned
:11:59. > :12:03.to Libya. Edinburgh Council has been attacked
:12:03. > :12:06.by hackers. The council says a "malicious cyber attack" was
:12:06. > :12:10.carried out on the records of residents who' ha asked for debt
:12:10. > :12:12.advice. The council has written to thousands of people to warn that
:12:12. > :12:17.their personal records may have been accessed, and is urging them
:12:17. > :12:20.to monitor their bank and credit card accounts carefully.
:12:20. > :12:24.The High Court in Edinburgh has heard that a man charged with
:12:24. > :12:27.murdering his wife is "insane" and "unfit to stand trial". Neil
:12:27. > :12:32.Cumming is accused of killing his wife Jane in their home in
:12:32. > :12:40.Longforgan near Dundee in July this year. The case has been continued
:12:40. > :12:43.for further medical reports into Mr Cumming's mental health.
:12:43. > :12:47.Large parts of the Western Isles and Skye have been left without
:12:47. > :12:49.electricity after a major power cut earlier today. Scottish Hydro says
:12:49. > :12:53.it's sending generators to the affected areas, and power should be
:12:53. > :12:56.restored by this evening. Meanwhile, electricity companies say they have
:12:56. > :13:00.invested millions of pounds to reduce the risk of power cuts
:13:00. > :13:03.caused by severe winter weather. Our environment correspondent,
:13:03. > :13:12.David Miller, took to the air to find out how that money has been
:13:12. > :13:18.spent. They are the giants of the glens,
:13:18. > :13:28.the network relies on the pilot's which slide across our landscape.
:13:28. > :13:30.
:13:30. > :13:36.But winds, has slowed and buyers Flying in by helicopter may seem
:13:36. > :13:42.dramatic, but Scotland's rugged terrain and weather conditions mean
:13:42. > :13:46.that aircraft like this one have a vital role to play in maintaining
:13:46. > :13:51.electricity suppliers. Most lines are in good shape. The power
:13:51. > :13:54.companies have invested millions of pounds to ensure they can keep the
:13:54. > :13:59.lights on across the country this winter. But when something does go
:13:59. > :14:08.wrong, we still have to rely on teams of unsung hero as he take to
:14:08. > :14:13.the hills, often in the harshest of conditions. They are the unsung
:14:13. > :14:18.heroes of the industry. What drives them is they know it that people
:14:18. > :14:23.depend on them. The guys get a lot of self-satisfaction and they are
:14:23. > :14:26.dedicated to their jobs. Tens of thousands of households were left
:14:27. > :14:31.without power after the recent violent storms, but bosses say the
:14:31. > :14:40.poor weather conditions the country has already endured show their
:14:40. > :14:50.investment is paying off. A we had a major storm on Boxing Day in 1988.
:14:50. > :14:51.
:14:51. > :14:56.Around 300,000 customers last their supply. This time round the
:14:56. > :15:00.conditions were similar and only 45,000 people lost power. Of course,
:15:00. > :15:04.the winter has only just begun and the engineers concede be Scottish
:15:04. > :15:13.weather always has the potential to disrupt even out what best-laid
:15:13. > :15:18.plans. -- away at best laid plans. People are warning people are using
:15:18. > :15:22.cash machines to be on the lookout for hidden cameras and bank card
:15:22. > :15:26.copy of devices. Skimming technology is so sophisticated it
:15:26. > :15:30.is getting more difficult to spot. And number of devices had been
:15:30. > :15:34.found on machines in the borders recently.
:15:34. > :15:40.You can only imagine how much these machines will be used over the next
:15:40. > :15:47.few days, but criminals are targeting cash machines we skimming
:15:47. > :15:51.devices. What are we talking about here? What we have here is this
:15:51. > :15:54.device on a piece of plastic which is almost identical to the
:15:54. > :15:58.framework of the machine. If you turn it over, you can see the
:15:58. > :16:08.device on the back. There is a battery, circuit boards and the
:16:08. > :16:14.device which his place in here. that scans the card. You yes. The
:16:14. > :16:20.information they require is early on that magnetic strip. This is the
:16:20. > :16:24.camera device which films you using your PIN number. It fits on to the
:16:24. > :16:30.machine like this. When it is in position, it is almost identical,
:16:30. > :16:39.so people do not notice it. then as the camera in this? You us.
:16:39. > :16:45.It is a tiny hole. In the back there is a standard camera that is
:16:45. > :16:55.connected up to eight circuit board. And the information goes to someone
:16:55. > :16:56.
:16:56. > :17:03.there by? Yes. They are quite ne'er -- near. They send information to
:17:03. > :17:07.other people sitting with blank cards so they can use your
:17:07. > :17:12.information within half-an-hour of it been taken. So within half-an-
:17:12. > :17:17.hour of your card going into the machine, they could have skinned
:17:17. > :17:21.you carte? You yes. These are terrible pieces of equipment and if
:17:21. > :17:31.you are suspicious, reported to be back or shop or whether the machine
:17:31. > :17:41.is. Thank you. Also, take care in supermarket queues and always got
:17:41. > :17:43.
:17:43. > :17:47.your -- and always guard your PIN number. Now for the sport.
:17:47. > :17:50.Kris Boyd's history as a Rangers player would be no barrier to him
:17:50. > :17:52.joining Celtic. So says the Celtic manager Neil Lennon. Boyd this week
:17:52. > :18:00.terminated his contract with Turkish club Eskisehirspor and the
:18:00. > :18:05.SPL's record goal scorer is on the look-out for a new club. Kris Boyd
:18:05. > :18:10.is the all-time record goalscorer and the Scottish League with 164
:18:10. > :18:17.goals. He is a free agent and now has been linked to a number of
:18:18. > :18:27.clubs, including Celtic. He is a prolific goalscorer. He is a player
:18:28. > :18:29.
:18:29. > :18:39.with a great record and any player like that would be welcome. People
:18:39. > :18:40.
:18:40. > :18:49.are speculating, but going to Celtic would not be a problem.
:18:49. > :18:53.what about the Celtic fans? How would they feel about Kris Boyd?
:18:53. > :18:59.problem. If he can score goals, or we would be glad to have him here.
:18:59. > :19:06.A I do not know it if Kris Boyd would play, but if he does, why not.
:19:06. > :19:13.Maurice Johnston is famous for playing for both clubs over 20
:19:13. > :19:18.years ago. Could boy it be their next play it to cross the great
:19:18. > :19:24.divide? Not if the bookmakers have anything to do with it. If you do
:19:24. > :19:28.fancy a flutter, and you can get 10-one for him to join up at Celtic
:19:28. > :19:30.Park. Meanwhile the Celtic trio of James
:19:30. > :19:34.Forrest, Adam Matthews and Scott Brown have been approached about
:19:34. > :19:36.the possibility of playing for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics. The
:19:36. > :19:39.players have now all received letters asking if they will make
:19:39. > :19:42.themselves available for selection. The Hearts midfielder Ryan
:19:42. > :19:45.Stevenson has told the Edinburgh club he won't be showing up for
:19:45. > :19:48.training until he gets paid his December salary. The delayed
:19:48. > :19:51.payment of wages to players has become a major feature at Hearts
:19:51. > :20:01.this season, and it seems there's interest in Stevenson from English
:20:01. > :20:10.
:20:10. > :20:15.Ryan Stevenson in happier times scoring again St Mirren. After
:20:15. > :20:18.asking to have his contract terminated and been told no, he
:20:18. > :20:22.informed the manager he would not be coming to training until he
:20:22. > :20:27.receives his December salary. The player's Agen has held talks with
:20:27. > :20:36.the club to try to negotiate apart way away from Tynecastle when the
:20:36. > :20:40.transfer window opens. Fans have mixed views on the player's actions.
:20:40. > :20:48.If you are not getting paid, why not. You cannot do a job and not
:20:48. > :20:55.get paid. I've been he should appreciate that Hearts have given
:20:55. > :21:04.him a chance. He needs to be patient. I would not turn up if I
:21:04. > :21:08.was not being paid. Ryan Stevenson has six months left on his contract
:21:08. > :21:11.at Hart. The club must decide whether he will be allowed to leave
:21:11. > :21:14.before the end of the season. Motherwell's Steve Jennings has
:21:14. > :21:18.been banned for two matches after his involvement in a spat with St
:21:18. > :21:21.Mirren's Jim Goodwin at the weekend. Jennings was given the ban by the
:21:21. > :21:24.SFA's Fast Track Tribunal, who also reduced the red card shown to
:21:24. > :21:27.Aberdeen's Peter Pawlett against Hibs to a yellow. It was a busy day
:21:27. > :21:29.for the disciplinary department today. The Dunfermline manager Jim
:21:29. > :21:39.McIntyre's criticism of referee Steve Conroy for awarding Rangers
:21:39. > :21:39.
:21:39. > :21:44.this penalty was ruled not to be worthy of punishment. We recognise
:21:44. > :21:48.what a hard job the referee has got. I am glad I had a chance today to
:21:48. > :21:54.explain that my words were about the decision made at the time and
:21:54. > :21:59.not the referee's performance. it a victory for common sense?
:21:59. > :22:02.I have received a fair hearing and I am delighted with the result.
:22:02. > :22:05.To rugby, and Glasgow still have room to improve, says coach Sean
:22:05. > :22:08.Lineen ahead of the festive double header against Edinburgh. The
:22:08. > :22:11.Scottish pro-sides meet on Boxing Day at Murrayfield and then again
:22:11. > :22:19.at Firhill in Glasgow on New Years Day. And despite some decent recent
:22:19. > :22:23.Glasgow results, Lineen is still looking for more from his side.
:22:23. > :22:27.Some of the attack has not been as great as it could be and the
:22:27. > :22:32.players know that. They work incredibly hard at the game, but
:22:32. > :22:36.again, of what a fantastic occasion? Two teams that are going
:22:36. > :22:40.really well and they have caught the imagination of the public.
:22:40. > :22:43.Boxing Day will be a cracker. Should be great, and also don't
:22:43. > :22:53.forget BBC Sports Personality tonight on BBC One at 8pm. I
:22:53. > :23:02.
:23:02. > :23:06.understand there should be at least a bit of Scottish interest.
:23:06. > :23:08.A tiny Scottish airport on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean has been
:23:08. > :23:11.voted the world's most stunning landing spot. Barra Airport in the
:23:11. > :23:14.Outer Hebrides came top of a global poll of pilots and travellers,
:23:14. > :23:17.beating the likes of St Barts, the Maldives and Gibraltar. Laura
:23:17. > :23:20.Bicker has been finding out why.$$NEWLINE And finally, a man on
:23:20. > :23:30.the Isle of Skye has turned his home near Portree into something of
:23:30. > :23:35.
:23:35. > :23:43.It is just spectacular. The views are amazing. We are waiting for our
:23:43. > :23:46.first view of Barra beach. This is the only beach on the planet used
:23:46. > :23:53.regularly for scheduled flights and it presents a challenge for the
:23:53. > :23:59.most able of pilots. It is quite a windy part of the world most of the
:23:59. > :24:05.time, so you will notice it and feel the movement. Every little
:24:05. > :24:10.changed is going to be noticeable. Lots of reactions from people when
:24:10. > :24:16.they get off the plane. I have had someone kneeled down and kiss the
:24:17. > :24:22.sand before. A lot of people travel from across the world to do this.
:24:22. > :24:28.It is one of the most sought-after landings in the whole world. They
:24:28. > :24:36.airport first opened in 1936. Higher winds happy to be a problem.
:24:36. > :24:39.This aeroplane was toppled in a gale. A good time to mention
:24:39. > :24:49.another one of the airport's other accolades. National Geographic
:24:49. > :24:52.
:24:53. > :25:00.boasted it one of the most treacherous airport. The sand
:25:00. > :25:05.absorbs the impact when you are touching down, so you get a smooth
:25:05. > :25:09.landing than you would expect. too soon it is time for the return
:25:09. > :25:14.journey. The wind has picked up and we have been warned that the take-
:25:14. > :25:19.off could be a little bumpy. That is what makes this place so special.
:25:19. > :25:22.It is not just at the mercy of the tides, it is at the mercy of the
:25:22. > :25:32.weather and it is a special place that you really want to come back
:25:32. > :25:44.
:25:44. > :25:50.Another weather. Today, it was extremely mild. If we take a look,
:25:50. > :25:58.to those of 12 Celsius. On the same day last year it was minus 16
:25:58. > :26:02.Celsius. Very much for the time of year. It was also cloudy and will
:26:02. > :26:07.continue to be said tonight. A band of rain coming in from the north-
:26:07. > :26:12.west. It will turn into a snow over higher ground in the north-west. A
:26:12. > :26:17.little bit drier towards the east. We may see some fast developing in
:26:17. > :26:22.the North East. It will be windy in Weston Park, but quite mild.
:26:22. > :26:26.Tomorrow morning, the rain will linger for a while in the south. It
:26:26. > :26:32.will gradually clear away during the course of the morning to leave
:26:32. > :26:37.a colder, but brighter day. The best of the sunshine towards
:26:38. > :26:44.eastern part. Cloudier towards the West with those showers carrying on.
:26:44. > :26:50.Some of them will be quite wintry. The biggest difference will be the
:26:50. > :26:52.temperatures. Highs any beaching four or five degrees. Not too
:26:52. > :27:01.different from our work night-time lows tonight. It will feel quite
:27:01. > :27:05.cold in the wind. Tomorrow evening, it will be cold and they could be
:27:05. > :27:11.some frost in the North East. Over the Christmas weekend it will be
:27:11. > :27:15.wet and windy. On Saturday, rain pushing into the West. It will stay
:27:15. > :27:20.very windy. Dry and bright it was that East and temperatures
:27:20. > :27:24.beginning to recover. Christmas Day, the rain will still be a big
:27:24. > :27:34.feature as we have another fund pushing in. The West will bear the
:27:34. > :27:35.
:27:35. > :27:45.brunt of it. -- another front. Wind macro still strong across the
:27:45. > :27:48.
:27:48. > :27:51.country, but very mild for this time of the year. The top stories
:27:51. > :27:54.tonight: A series of coordinated bombings
:27:54. > :27:57.has killed at least 63 people and injured 200 in the Iraqi capital
:27:57. > :28:00.Baghdad just days after American troops finally withdrew from Iraq.
:28:00. > :28:02.In total, 14 bombs went off in various locations in both Sunni and
:28:02. > :28:04.Shia neighbourhoods, prompting fears of sectarian violence.
:28:04. > :28:07.Police investigating two serious sexual assaults in Glasgow city
:28:07. > :28:10.centre say they have had an encouraging response from the