:00:14. > :00:16.Welcome to Reporting Scotland. Tonight on your national news:
:00:16. > :00:25.A legal first as police reopen their investigation into the
:00:25. > :00:30.unsolved murder of this Asian waiter in 1998. His family hoped to
:00:30. > :00:34.get justice. Today is the second chance for the Crown Office to do
:00:34. > :00:36.the right thing and also to show there has been a positive change 13
:00:36. > :00:39.years later. Also in the programme:
:00:39. > :00:48.The campaign for the new high-speed link to be extended to Scotland.
:00:48. > :00:51.Politicians north and south of the border join forces. You don't need
:00:51. > :00:53.to use this word. French lessons with a footballing
:00:54. > :00:56.kick. We meet the Inverness players who've swapped the training ground
:00:56. > :00:58.for the classroom. And he doesn't look like he's built
:00:58. > :01:07.for speed, but scientists say Shetland ponies and racehorses have
:01:07. > :01:10.Surjit Singh Chhokar was murdered in North Lanarkshire 13 years ago
:01:10. > :01:15.but despite three arrests and two trials no-one has ever been found
:01:15. > :01:19.guilty. But now Strathclyde Police are being instructed to carry out a
:01:19. > :01:22.fresh investigation into the waiter's killing. It's the first
:01:22. > :01:25.investigation to be reopened since changes to the law which mean the
:01:25. > :01:34.men orginally accused of the murder could face trial again, as Stephen
:01:34. > :01:38.Godden reports. 13 years after Surjit Singh
:01:38. > :01:42.Chhokar's brutal murder, his family's quest for justice took
:01:42. > :01:47.them through the doors of the Crown Office. It has been a monument to
:01:48. > :01:52.their anger per so long, and frustration, but they emerged
:01:52. > :01:57.satisfied today, convinced -- having convinced law officers to
:01:57. > :02:00.reopen the investigation. Today is the second chance for them to do
:02:00. > :02:05.the right thing and to show that has been a positive change 13 years
:02:05. > :02:08.later. Surjit's family will be at peace when there is just as. It is
:02:08. > :02:14.up to the lord advocate and Strathclyde Police to do everything
:02:14. > :02:24.possible. The Asian waiter was stabbed to death in a street in
:02:24. > :02:28.1998. Three men were charged with his murder. After a two separate
:02:28. > :02:33.trials in which they blamed each other, all three were acquitted. In
:02:33. > :02:39.the controversy that followed, the then Lord Advocate said the legal
:02:39. > :02:43.system had failed but family. Reform has brought hope. Changes to
:02:43. > :02:47.the double jeopardy law have opened doors into a fresh investigation
:02:47. > :02:55.encouraging Surjit's sister to speak out. People that have
:02:55. > :02:59.forgotten Surjit's name will remember it. All we have asked for
:02:59. > :03:02.is just as old but this is the first case to be reinvestigated
:03:02. > :03:06.since the new law came into effect and the Crown Office are
:03:06. > :03:11.considering others warning that the passage of time should be no
:03:11. > :03:16.protection for those when there is compelling evidence of guilt.
:03:16. > :03:19.Plenty of obstacles lie ahead but for the family, this is a step in
:03:20. > :03:22.the right direction. The First Minister Alex Salmond has
:03:22. > :03:26.invited his political opponents at Holyrood to join cross-party talks
:03:26. > :03:28.on the planned independence referendum. Mr Salmond said he
:03:28. > :03:32.believed such talks would make "a positive contribution" to the
:03:32. > :03:36.process of settling the rules for the referendum. Our Political
:03:36. > :03:39.Editor, Brian Taylor, is in the parliament for us this evening.
:03:39. > :03:49.First Minister's Questions might indicate how the campaigning could
:03:49. > :03:49.
:03:49. > :03:54.take shape? I think that is right. This is the letter that has gone
:03:54. > :03:58.out to the opposition party leaders and also to the independent MSP,
:03:58. > :04:02.Margo MacDonald. It is offering talks to pave the way to settle the
:04:02. > :04:06.rules and regulations of the referendum and the sub-standard
:04:06. > :04:13.argument will be the core of that referendum will be there for
:04:13. > :04:18.everybody to see. Alex Salmond made a forecast that Scotland will have
:04:18. > :04:24.independence. On the other side, the Labour Party, they didn't say
:04:24. > :04:29.that Scotland could be independent, but Johann moment was casting doubt
:04:29. > :04:33.about the outcome, an advocate and caught trying to sow doubt in the
:04:33. > :04:38.minds of the jury. Why is he prepared to take unnecessary risks
:04:38. > :04:44.with people's mortgage, savings, pensions, in the midst of the worst
:04:44. > :04:54.economic global crisis since the 1930s for no good reasons? Scotland
:04:54. > :04:55.
:04:55. > :05:04.will emerge as an independent country would be six -- 6th highest
:05:04. > :05:07.head by a head count of wealth in the UK. MSPs also debated
:05:07. > :05:11.Scotland's right to self- determination as well. This is
:05:11. > :05:17.about Scotland's future but there was a history lesson on display and
:05:18. > :05:22.those are the you with longer memories, look at these. 1989, the
:05:22. > :05:26.signing of the claim of right, part of the constitutional Convention,
:05:26. > :05:33.leading to a detailed scheme of devolution and that in itself
:05:33. > :05:37.became the plan for this Parliament. The SNP acknowledge the sovereign
:05:37. > :05:42.right of the Scottish people to decide the best government suited
:05:42. > :05:48.to their needs, and they advocated that as a form of self
:05:48. > :05:51.determination. Add the second question on maximum devolution. The
:05:51. > :05:54.double Democrats and Labour, Corps were there in 1989, pointed out the
:05:54. > :05:59.SNP had not been part of the Convention and did not sign the
:05:59. > :06:03.document and were not in a position to lecture. I think it was a score
:06:03. > :06:06.draw this afternoon, but many such skirmishes to come.
:06:06. > :06:10.The teenager who killed his classmate has been explaining to a
:06:10. > :06:13.High Court jury why he took a knife to meet him. Craig Roy has begun
:06:13. > :06:16.giving evidence in his own defence on the seventh day of the trial in
:06:16. > :06:23.which he denies murdering 16-year- old Jack Frew. From the High Court,
:06:23. > :06:26.our Home Affairs correspondent Reevel Alderson reports.
:06:26. > :06:31.Arriving at the High Court, Craig Roy was to begin to tell his story
:06:31. > :06:35.to the jury, particularly why he took a knife to meet a classmate.
:06:35. > :06:39.That classmate was Jack Frew who Craig Roy said had been
:06:39. > :06:43.blackmailing him. 19-year-old Craig Roy moved from the dock to the
:06:43. > :06:46.witness box to give his evidence. He did so without wearing his
:06:46. > :06:51.glasses explaining he didn't like speaking in public and felt more
:06:51. > :06:56.comfortable when he could not see people. He told the jury that Jack
:06:56. > :07:00.Frew, a chemistry class made of his in the High School, had been
:07:00. > :07:05.blackmailing him. He had threatened to tell his boyfriend of a sexual
:07:06. > :07:10.encounter they had had at school. He said that on the night on a 6th
:07:10. > :07:14.2010, he had reluctantly agreed to meet Jack and he had taken a knife.
:07:14. > :07:20.He said, I wanted to scare him and protect myself because I didn't
:07:20. > :07:26.know what he was capable of. On two occasions, here at this high-school,
:07:26. > :07:32.Craig Roy said he had performed sex acts on Jack Frew, and before he
:07:32. > :07:35.killed him, he's at -- he received a text message which made him angry.
:07:35. > :07:39.He was in a relationship with another boy but admitted he was
:07:40. > :07:43.jealous and paranoid. He felt angry after the arguments. He told the
:07:43. > :07:48.jury, I was hurting us of, scratching myself and sometimes I
:07:48. > :07:51.would spit on the wall. He had hit his head on the ball might he was
:07:51. > :07:56.having an epileptic fit. I would scratch myself with my nails. I
:07:56. > :08:00.would not be satisfied until I drew blood. Craig Roy, who denies
:08:00. > :08:03.murdering Jack Frew, continues giving evidence tomorrow.
:08:03. > :08:04.You're watching Reporting Scotland from the BBC. Still to come on the
:08:04. > :08:09.programme: How starling aerobatics like this
:08:09. > :08:13.over Scotland could soon be a thing of the past.
:08:13. > :08:17.In sport, trial by television. That's what some SPL managers are
:08:17. > :08:20.calling it. Find out why they're angry at the Scottish FA's new
:08:20. > :08:23.system for tightening up on field discipline.
:08:23. > :08:26.And we're in Melbourne as Andy Murray prepares to face the best
:08:26. > :08:34.tennis player in the world in the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
:08:34. > :08:37.The Scottish Government is planning to form an alliance with
:08:37. > :08:42.politicians in the north of England to try to shorten train journeys to
:08:42. > :08:45.London. It wants to work with them to make sure the planned high-speed
:08:45. > :08:53.rail link between London and Birmingham is extended as far as
:08:53. > :08:55.Edinburgh and Glasgow. Our correspondent reports.
:08:55. > :09:01.After years of expensive improvements, the train journey
:09:01. > :09:04.from London to Glasgow are still typically takes about 4.5 hours.
:09:04. > :09:10.The UK Government's plans for high- speed lines could cut this time but
:09:10. > :09:14.the new lines will not come all the way to Scotland, to the
:09:14. > :09:20.disappointment of some. You need to did the whole way, why do you need
:09:20. > :09:24.to stop Mid country? I have got to get the journey into a morning,
:09:24. > :09:27.afternoon or evening, but I would prefer to do it by train. The UK
:09:27. > :09:31.Government wants to build a high- speed line between London and the
:09:31. > :09:37.Midlands, extending it to Leeds and Manchester which could have knock-
:09:37. > :09:42.on benefits for Scotland. The stage of the Investment reduces crane
:09:42. > :09:48.times to Glasgow and Edinburgh, too, because the trains will run as
:09:48. > :09:52.through services so it is a benefit to Scotland. But the Scottish
:09:52. > :09:58.Government wants a firm commitment to far more. High-speed lines
:09:58. > :10:02.further North and an -- and on our side of the border. One of my tasks
:10:02. > :10:06.today is to start the process of forming an alliance with our
:10:06. > :10:10.friends in a North of England to join forces to force the issue on
:10:10. > :10:14.the UK Government that they will recognise the needs of the North of
:10:14. > :10:19.England and Scotland and bring the high-speed line North. Announcing a
:10:19. > :10:26.decision to give the go-ahead to High Speed Two. Some are fighting
:10:26. > :10:31.the existing proposals. It is about the monumental outlay of money,
:10:31. > :10:35.when the country is in dire straits. The UK Government says it is a
:10:35. > :10:43.vision for a truly national high- speed network but there is no
:10:43. > :10:47.definite move to extend theTo reach Edinburgh or Glasgow.
:10:47. > :10:49.A fatal accident inquiry is to be held into the death of the toddler
:10:49. > :10:53.Declan Hainey, who was murdered by his mother, Kimberley. She was
:10:53. > :10:58.found guilty last month of killing him at her flat in Paisley, then
:10:58. > :11:00.failing to report his death and concealing his body. It was
:11:00. > :11:03.discovered in March 2010 when Declan would have been 23 months
:11:03. > :11:06.old. Experts said he'd been dead for several months.
:11:06. > :11:09.The starling is one of Scotland's most common birds but there's been
:11:09. > :11:12.a dramatic drop in numbers in recent years, leading to fears that
:11:12. > :11:14.the remarkable displays which the birds perform in our winter skies
:11:14. > :11:24.could become a thing of the past. Our Environment Correspondent,
:11:24. > :11:36.
:11:36. > :11:40.It is one of Scotland's greatest natural spectacles. Huge clouds of
:11:40. > :11:48.starlings Twister and Spain, turning the sky is dark as the
:11:48. > :11:52.birds prepared to roost near Gretna Green. But numbers are falling
:11:52. > :11:57.sharply and it is thought changing weather patterns could be to blame.
:11:57. > :12:02.Numbers have declined quite dramatically in the last decade or
:12:02. > :12:07.so, with three-quarters of starlings -- having disappeared.
:12:07. > :12:11.The birds you see in Gretna, with the spectacular displays, are birds
:12:11. > :12:15.that have come in from Scandinavia, Russia, and they spend the winter
:12:15. > :12:21.here. Their numbers have gone down as well, so we have got a decline
:12:21. > :12:25.in starlings across the whole of the Europe. The RSPB's Great Bird
:12:25. > :12:29.Watch takes place this weekend and the public are being urged to count
:12:29. > :12:35.not just starlings but all the birds they see. We are asking
:12:35. > :12:39.people to count their garden birds, house sparrows, bruited to the etc,
:12:39. > :12:43.all of those that he would see every day. We want them to spend
:12:43. > :12:49.one hour counting these birds and submitting their results to us.
:12:49. > :12:56.can people do that? You can do it on the internet or post. Regardless
:12:56. > :13:01.of what you see, is submit everything to Ed -- everything to
:13:01. > :13:07.us. Trying to count starlings is not a good idea. If you get the
:13:07. > :13:17.chance to witness scenes like these, it is probably best just to stand
:13:17. > :13:20.
:13:20. > :13:26.Astonishing sight. A look at what else has been happening: a photo of
:13:26. > :13:29.a man with a tattoo of a spider and the words, a hard core forever on
:13:29. > :13:35.his arm. He is wanted for in connection with
:13:35. > :13:40.the murder of a Polish man in late. The regulator of, has confirmed
:13:40. > :13:45.that the Royal Mail's service obligation will now be limited to
:13:45. > :13:50.second class only. There are fears that rule Scotland will be severely
:13:50. > :13:56.affected. During a visit to be valid from
:13:56. > :14:02.today, it has been announced that athletes resident outside the UK
:14:02. > :14:09.will not pay any income tax. there was a hurdle, that could put
:14:09. > :14:17.them off so we want this to be the best games.
:14:17. > :14:21.Possible options to prevent a repeat of Stonehaven's floods in
:14:21. > :14:26.2009 were unveiled today. Protesters greeted councillors
:14:26. > :14:29.considering plans for an offshore wind farm. Donald Trump claims that
:14:29. > :14:33.the turbines will spoil the view from his golf course in
:14:33. > :14:38.Aberdeenshire. Aberdeenshire council does not have
:14:38. > :14:44.the final say on this wind farm. That rests with Murray in Scotland
:14:44. > :14:48.and Scottish ministers. The Scottish Government is
:14:48. > :14:55.confirmed more money to help build the Victoria and Albert Museum in
:14:55. > :14:59.Dundee. It will form part of Dundee's rejuvenated waterfront.
:14:59. > :15:09.The rock press music festival will be had lined this year by Pc Clive
:15:09. > :15:14.
:15:14. > :15:21.It is a stirring tale of wartime survival. Four Norwegians escaped
:15:21. > :15:25.the Nazis and sailed for Scotland, landing in Aberdeenshire. 70 years
:15:25. > :15:29.later, the boat they used just about to return home.
:15:29. > :15:34.She might be showing her age but this is a boat with a remarkable
:15:34. > :15:38.history. She has languished here for many years but is now being
:15:38. > :15:45.prepared for her return home to Norway.
:15:45. > :15:51.Her story begins in 1940 without a's occupation of Norway. Thousands
:15:51. > :15:57.of Norwegians sought escape, many by sea. A year later, four of them
:15:57. > :16:03.stole a boat from a Nazi collaborator and set off from the
:16:03. > :16:08.tip of Norway. Four days later, after a hazardous journey, they
:16:09. > :16:15.made it to Scotland. A lot of them got into small, open boat, this
:16:15. > :16:21.size, and crossed the open sea. About 10% of them just simply
:16:21. > :16:25.perished. There were either lost at sea or cot by the Germans who
:16:25. > :16:31.executed a them instantly. One of the men, seen here on the
:16:31. > :16:36.right, returned to Scotland in 1982 to see the boat. She was being used
:16:36. > :16:41.in the Scottish fishing industry. But in recent years she has been
:16:41. > :16:46.deteriorating. Then last year, some visitors arrived.
:16:46. > :16:53.On the exact day, 70 years from the moment their father are arrived in
:16:53. > :17:00.Scotland, the two sons turned up here there we are standing and
:17:00. > :17:02.looked at the spot. This was the bought that brought their father on
:17:02. > :17:07.this extraordinary voyage across the North Sea.
:17:07. > :17:15.The boat is now being prepared for her return to Norway and a place in
:17:15. > :17:18.a museum where she was built. There will be a proper send-off
:17:18. > :17:26.with pipe band and local schoolchildren before this amazing
:17:26. > :17:30.little vessel finally returns home. And Inverness secondary school has
:17:30. > :17:35.signed up two Premier League footballers to help boost its
:17:35. > :17:39.people's performance in French. Two of Caledonian Thistle's players
:17:39. > :17:44.have become regular visitors to Millburn Academy where they coach
:17:44. > :17:53.in their native language. School just got super-cool for
:17:53. > :18:01.pupils studying French at Millburn Academy in Inverness. Courting them
:18:01. > :18:07.in French, it can help them. -- coaching.
:18:07. > :18:12.I used to be taught by the gaffer at the football club and now I am
:18:12. > :18:16.back in school teaching kids French. It is very difficult but it is a
:18:16. > :18:21.good thing to do. The two French men, back at
:18:21. > :18:29.training this morning, have proved to be a lethal combination on the
:18:29. > :18:34.Pitfield. -- on the pitch. I am a Caledonian Thistle fan so
:18:34. > :18:38.why go to every game every week, so it is good.
:18:38. > :18:44.They can help us understand the words better and with how to
:18:44. > :18:54.pronounce the words, because sometimes if we kept, how do we say
:18:54. > :18:57.
:18:57. > :19:04.that, and they are good as helping You do not need to use this word...
:19:04. > :19:10.Teachers are the consigned to the bench for the weekly sessions.
:19:10. > :19:14.To have people in the class as role models, and to help the pupils
:19:14. > :19:20.practise for exams and day-to-day conversation, it helps them just
:19:20. > :19:24.gain so much more confidence. The coaching will not just be
:19:24. > :19:31.confined to the classroom. Some people's will be able to play
:19:31. > :19:37.football with their idols, but only in French.
:19:37. > :19:42.And now we have the sport outside the classroom.
:19:42. > :19:46.Andy Murray will play Spain's Rafael Nadal in the final of the
:19:46. > :19:53.Australian Open if and only if he can get the better of the best
:19:53. > :20:03.player in the world, Novak Djokovic. Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer in
:20:03. > :20:10.
:20:10. > :20:19.the first semi-final today. Andy Murray and Djokovic play tomorrow.
:20:19. > :20:25.Australia Day. At time for locals young and old to celebrate all
:20:25. > :20:30.things Australian. Most of Australia has downed tools for
:20:30. > :20:35.their national holiday but there is no let up for Andy Murray. A double
:20:35. > :20:40.session on the practice courts for him.
:20:40. > :20:44.Novak Djokovic crashed Murray in straight sets in last year's final.
:20:44. > :20:50.How much will that play on his smile when he steps into the arena
:20:50. > :20:54.tomorrow? It will not be on my mind. I do not
:20:54. > :21:04.think about the past much. I learned a lot from that match last
:21:04. > :21:04.
:21:04. > :21:09.year. That will help me in the match on the day. I will just be
:21:09. > :21:13.thinking about the tactics for the day and tried to do the best I can
:21:13. > :21:17.to win the match. The defending champion has again
:21:17. > :21:22.looked formidable this fortnight but he is expecting a different
:21:22. > :21:26.Murray from ten months ago. -- from 12 months ago.
:21:26. > :21:36.He has made some changes and he looks fit, he has been playing well,
:21:36. > :21:40.and he is definitely very motivated to win his first Grand Slam. I hope
:21:40. > :21:50.I can repeat the same thing as I did last year but it is definitely
:21:50. > :21:53.
:21:53. > :21:56.going to take a lot of effort to be It has been called trial by
:21:56. > :22:01.television and some Premier League clubs are unhappy with it to say
:22:01. > :22:10.the least. Motherwell and Ted's have criticised the Scottish FA's
:22:10. > :22:14.new procedure on tightening up on players' behaviour during matches.
:22:14. > :22:19.Heading home from Hampden disappointed, this man will miss
:22:19. > :22:25.his side's next match due to a gesture. This is the incident in
:22:25. > :22:30.question. The referee missed it. The celebration and then the
:22:30. > :22:36.gesture but to who and why? Given the fact it was not picked up at
:22:36. > :22:40.the time, are we heading towards trial by television?
:22:40. > :22:44.There was a two game ban. His boss thinks that poring over pictures
:22:45. > :22:47.after they came to spot what the referee missed his not the way
:22:48. > :22:52.forward. Let them referee the game, they
:22:52. > :22:58.will not get everything right, but that is the way Scotland --
:22:58. > :23:02.football has always been. Stuart McCall is also no fan but he
:23:02. > :23:08.is now more concerned about the process.
:23:08. > :23:18.What is offensive and what is not? The panel said it was low-end, and
:23:18. > :23:26.
:23:26. > :23:36.certainly could it -- not Tonight on a social networking site,
:23:36. > :23:39.
:23:39. > :23:43.an SFA spokesman described the Scientists have discovered that the
:23:43. > :23:49.gene associated with speed in racehorses is commonly found in
:23:49. > :23:54.Shetland ponies. They are tiny but tough. Shetland
:23:54. > :23:59.ponies are known for their stamina but could these little legs
:23:59. > :24:04.galloped to victory in a Grand National? Not as ridiculous as you
:24:04. > :24:11.think. The gene that makes these resources winner's is most commonly
:24:11. > :24:21.found in Shetland ponies. I have always thought she was a pure
:24:21. > :24:22.
:24:22. > :24:28.thoroughbred! She is very lazy, does very little and eats every day.
:24:28. > :24:32.We have got the help of a prize- winning horse breeder.
:24:32. > :24:41.You want someone who is well balanced and who walks well and
:24:41. > :24:45.looks the part. A big backside, and looking strong. So really, arise
:24:45. > :24:55.can judge at that level. We will pit the scientist to the
:24:55. > :24:58.
:24:58. > :25:03.test. We have this shell and Bonnie verses at former racehorse. She is
:25:03. > :25:13.a little bit on the slow side so let us see if the genes come to the
:25:13. > :25:30.
:25:30. > :25:36.Not exactly a photo-finish but at least the trainer is pleased. With
:25:36. > :25:45.legs like these, that is no mean feat.
:25:45. > :25:51.Some snow flurries for some of us but not surprising for the end of
:25:51. > :25:55.January. It will be cold and icy tonight. There will be continuing
:25:55. > :26:04.showers working north across the country, turning wintry of our
:26:04. > :26:11.higher ground with sleet to lower levels. For most of us, down to
:26:11. > :26:16.freezing or just under. As low as- four or in some places in the
:26:16. > :26:20.Highlands. There will be cloud in the South West tomorrow morning but
:26:20. > :26:24.does well clear quickly. Elsewhere, relatively dry and bright and
:26:24. > :26:30.improving as we go through the afternoon, thanks to this small
:26:30. > :26:36.ridge of high pressure. By mid- afternoon, 3pm, probably the best
:26:36. > :26:46.afternoon of the week. Plenty of sunshine a in the forecast. But it
:26:46. > :26:49.
:26:49. > :26:55.will be called. -- it will be cold. For the rest of the afternoon and
:26:55. > :27:01.into the evening, staying dry for much of the country. There will be
:27:01. > :27:05.as hard frost. Into the weekend, the battle-lines are drawn. High
:27:05. > :27:12.pressure centred over Scandinavia is working its way to Scotland.
:27:12. > :27:22.Some milder air in the Atlantic. The weather fronts will bring the
:27:22. > :27:23.
:27:23. > :27:28.brain and that will meet with us here on Saturday. -- the rain. By
:27:28. > :27:33.Sunday, the rain really gets its act together and turned to snow
:27:33. > :27:38.over the hills as well. Cloudy day for everyone with highs of four or