:00:16. > :00:20.Tonight on Reporting Scotland. A major search is launched after a
:00:21. > :00:23.three-year-old boy goes missing in Edinburgh. Dozens of police officers
:00:24. > :00:27.scour the area around the little boy's home while forensic officers
:00:28. > :00:30.search for clues to try to find out what happened to him. He was picked
:00:31. > :00:32.to his bed by his mother at nine o'clock last night. When his mother
:00:33. > :00:48.walk up this morning, Mikaeel was not in his bed or in his house.
:00:49. > :00:51.Specialist teams take part in the operation and the nearby shoreline
:00:52. > :00:54.is searched by lifeboat crews and the coastguard.
:00:55. > :00:56.We'll have the latest on the investigation.
:00:57. > :00:59.Also in the programme tonight. What a load of rubbish. The clean-up
:01:00. > :01:01.begins on Loch Long where recent storms have washed up tonnes of
:01:02. > :01:07.litter and debris. And violinist Nicola Benedetti joins
:01:08. > :01:18.the traditional music scene as Celtic Connections celebrates its
:01:19. > :01:21.21st birthday. Three-year-old Mikaeel Kular has not
:01:22. > :01:26.been seen since he was put to bed by his mother last night at nine
:01:27. > :01:29.o'clock. It wasn't until she awoke this morning that she realised he
:01:30. > :01:33.was gone from their home in the Drylaw area of Edinburgh. His jacket
:01:34. > :01:35.and shoes are missing too. This evening, a UK-wide alert has been
:01:36. > :01:38.issued, with coastguards teams helping with the search. In a
:01:39. > :01:41.moment, we'll speak to Superintendent Liz McAinsh who is in
:01:42. > :01:46.charge of the search. But first, here's Rob Flett on how today's
:01:47. > :01:51.events unfolded. This modern housing development is
:01:52. > :01:55.where Mikaeel has lived for several years. Every inch is now being
:01:56. > :02:04.called by police. Where do you start looking? He is a lovely wee boy.
:02:05. > :02:09.Mikaeel was last seen by his mother yesterday evening. She is said to be
:02:10. > :02:15.distraught. He was put to bed by his mother last night at nine o'clock.
:02:16. > :02:22.When she went to get him up this morning, he was not in his bed. She
:02:23. > :02:24.searched the house for him, she noticed his jacket and shoes were
:02:25. > :02:32.missing and she contacted the police. Police believe the-year-old
:02:33. > :02:35.Mikaeel may have got up and got dressed and wandered out last night.
:02:36. > :02:38.They say there is no evidence of criminality. Mikaeel is described
:02:39. > :02:47.as... Police dogs have been brought in to
:02:48. > :02:59.look for any evidence around the development. Ferry Gait is in the
:03:00. > :03:02.north of Edinburgh. There is no indication of any direction he has
:03:03. > :03:12.taken when he has come out of his house. At this meeting, volunteers
:03:13. > :03:17.were anxious to know where to look. Mountain rescue teams have been
:03:18. > :03:22.brought in, the Coast Guard has been deployed. It is a large and mixed
:03:23. > :03:26.area to cover. We are searching everywhere are
:03:27. > :03:31.three-year-old child could go. I am a father and I know they can get
:03:32. > :03:34.anywhere. The community has been left
:03:35. > :03:40.bewildered by the disappearance of this little boy from the safety of
:03:41. > :03:46.his home. Speculation has been rife. Tonight, as darkness came, the
:03:47. > :03:54.searchers continued. Those looking for Mikaeel are painfully aware that
:03:55. > :04:01.time is of the essence. I'm joined now by superintendent Liz
:04:02. > :04:04.McAinsh from Police Scotland. It's a missing persons inquiry and
:04:05. > :04:06.not a criminal investigation at the moment, but are you following any
:04:07. > :04:10.specific leads? We are keeping all of our options
:04:11. > :04:15.open at the moment. Mikaeel was reported missing to us at seven 45
:04:16. > :04:22.this morning. He was last seen at nine o'clock last night. We have
:04:23. > :04:32.launched a dedicated telephone number, staffed by dedicated police
:04:33. > :04:41.officers in the United Kingdom. If anyone has seen Mikaeel, or believes
:04:42. > :04:48.they have seen him, please call us. It is one of the line we are focused
:04:49. > :04:54.on, the search of the local area, particularly Ferry Gait and Drylaw.
:04:55. > :04:59.I would thank everybody, all the members of the public who have
:05:00. > :05:12.helped today. But have a look around again tonight. Please, search out
:05:13. > :05:21.buildings, gardens, garages, anywhere at three-year-old boy might
:05:22. > :05:27.have gone to seek shelter. If you are out walking, please be extra
:05:28. > :05:33.vigilant. Are you satisfied that a three-year-old would be able to get
:05:34. > :05:41.through and outer door, the able to dress himself?
:05:42. > :05:46.That is something we have been exploring the red the day. His
:05:47. > :05:52.mother has told us that he can dress himself, that he could put on his
:05:53. > :05:56.jacket and shoes. And it would have been possible for him to have left
:05:57. > :06:06.the house of his own accord. We are continuing to explore all areas.
:06:07. > :06:14.Again, our appeal is for everyone to look out for this little boy who is
:06:15. > :06:17.missing in the area. We are growing increasingly concerned. We are very
:06:18. > :06:22.keen that everybody helped us in that search. We have got lots and
:06:23. > :06:33.lots of police these sources dedicated to this. -- police these
:06:34. > :06:36.sources -- resources. As you can see, we have lots of partner
:06:37. > :06:49.agencies and emergency services are helping us.
:06:50. > :06:52.Thank you. BBC Scotland has obtained details of
:06:53. > :06:55.the options being considered by the Ministry of Defence to deal with
:06:56. > :06:58.radioactive contamination on a Fife beach. The draft proposals for
:06:59. > :07:03.Dalgety Bay include putting up a fence or warning signs. The local MP
:07:04. > :07:07.says that would amount to doing nothing. Here's our political
:07:08. > :07:15.correspondent, Glenn Campbell. By the sailing club in Dalgety Bay
:07:16. > :07:19.and across town, radioactive contamination is already. It is a
:07:20. > :07:27.concern. People are worrying about safety, and also house prices. It is
:07:28. > :07:37.time the Ministry of Defence did something coastline is contaminated
:07:38. > :07:44.by radioactive particles from World War II instruments that were dumped
:07:45. > :07:51.here. The Ministry of Defence is looking for options to deal with the
:07:52. > :07:57.problem. The options are to put up warning signs, to build a stone
:07:58. > :08:01.barrier system, to excavate the area and remove the contaminated
:08:02. > :08:08.material, or a combination of these possibilities. The local MP does not
:08:09. > :08:13.think all the options are credible. I am shocked and dismayed that one
:08:14. > :08:22.of the options being considered is to do nothing, or to leave offence
:08:23. > :08:26.here. -- or to put up a fence here. If this coastline is not cleared up,
:08:27. > :08:33.it could become the only place in the UK to be formally designated as
:08:34. > :08:40.an area of contamination. The ministry of defence says it remains
:08:41. > :08:51.committed to playing an active role in achieving a long-term solution.
:08:52. > :08:54.You're watching Reporting Scotland from the BBC. Still to come on the
:08:55. > :08:58.programme. The only way is up for our power
:08:59. > :09:01.bills, but just how high could they rise? We have the third of our
:09:02. > :09:08.special reports on Scotland's energy needs.
:09:09. > :09:11.In sport, Andy Murray sets a personal record in the sweltering
:09:12. > :09:15.heat of Australia but big brother Jamie feels the heat. And Rangers
:09:16. > :09:20.players are asked to consider a pay cut. Join me later.
:09:21. > :09:23.The leader of the No campaign in the referendum is claiming Alex Salmond
:09:24. > :09:27.is unable to provide any guarantees over key aspects of his independence
:09:28. > :09:30.offer. Alistair Darling says Scotland is in the dark over issues
:09:31. > :09:34.like the currency and membership of the European Union. His attack was
:09:35. > :09:41.dismissed by supporters of independence, as our political
:09:42. > :09:49.editor Brian Taylor reports. Alistair Darling's target audience
:09:50. > :09:55.to date was young Scotland. He argued that Alex Salmond could give
:09:56. > :10:00.no guarantees. Ask Alex Salmond what currency and independent Scotland
:10:01. > :10:08.would have had he house to answer that he does not know. Ask him to
:10:09. > :10:13.give you I guarantee on a range of issues and the best he can say is
:10:14. > :10:20.that he does not know. But Nicola Sturgeon dismissed that, are giving
:10:21. > :10:25.that it would be in London's interest to create a sterling zone.
:10:26. > :10:34.We could take responsibility into our own hands only that in the hands
:10:35. > :10:40.of Westminster. I am arguing it is best to be in the driving seat of
:10:41. > :10:45.your own destiny. At first Minister's Questions,
:10:46. > :10:50.competing claims on the cost and benefit of independence. And much
:10:51. > :10:56.more tomorrow when the Foreign Secretary publishes a paper arguing
:10:57. > :11:04.that the United Kingdom offers strength through global diplomatic
:11:05. > :11:10.clout. Nicola Sturgeon will argue that the only threat to European
:11:11. > :11:17.membership will be the referendum being put forward by the
:11:18. > :11:20.Conservative Party. This week, we've been looking at
:11:21. > :11:23.energy bills, asking why they're so high and what we can do about it.
:11:24. > :11:27.Tonight, we're turning our attention to the future and asking are our gas
:11:28. > :11:35.and electricity bills likely to keep on rising sharply in the years to
:11:36. > :11:40.come? There is a financial cost no matter how we choose to generate
:11:41. > :11:45.electricity or heat our homes. The UK Government has warned bills are
:11:46. > :11:51.set to keep on rising, driven up largely by the cost of gas on the
:11:52. > :11:57.international markets, rather than the price of investing in renewable
:11:58. > :12:03.energy here at home. At this pensioners club in Glasgow, the cost
:12:04. > :12:08.of staying warm is a real worry. People have got bored with their
:12:09. > :12:14.heating bills, worrying about them. I keep watching the meter. You
:12:15. > :12:19.cannot afford to keep them the way you used to. So should the
:12:20. > :12:25.government cap prices, forcing energy companies to ease pressure on
:12:26. > :12:29.budgets? It controls the price company can charge without the cost
:12:30. > :12:34.the beer, part of which is imposed by government, and what comes out
:12:35. > :12:41.the end of that is they do not invest in new power stations. --
:12:42. > :12:45.without the cost they bear. Some ageing power stations have been
:12:46. > :12:51.closed, whilst the renewable energy sector has grown rapidly. Energy and
:12:52. > :12:57.climb it policies account for 9% of the average household bills. --
:12:58. > :13:04.energy and I change policies. We cannot expect to go back to lower
:13:05. > :13:11.prices. So we should continue to pursue the climate and renewable
:13:12. > :13:15.targets in difficult circumstances. Fracking is controversial, but has
:13:16. > :13:20.ridges prices in the US, so what impact could shale gas have on our
:13:21. > :13:25.bills? Shale gas could make them lower than they might otherwise have
:13:26. > :13:30.been. Not a particularly comforting answer. That is until you start to
:13:31. > :13:35.realise this is a gas import dependent country now. And
:13:36. > :13:41.ever-changing picture, but one thing is clear, the days of cheap energy
:13:42. > :13:45.will not return any case soon. -- any day soon.
:13:46. > :13:48.The main gearbox of a helicopter, which crashed off Peterhead with the
:13:49. > :13:50.loss of 16 lives, had no abnormalities the previous night, a
:13:51. > :13:54.fatal accident inquiry has heard. The engineer who carried out
:13:55. > :13:56.inspections on the Super Puma the night before it crashed has been
:13:57. > :14:02.giving evidence. A catastrophic gearbox failure was blamed for the
:14:03. > :14:10.tragedy in April 2009. All onboard died.
:14:11. > :14:14.200 jobs are being axed at the Rolls-Royce aerospace plant and
:14:15. > :14:17.redfish. The firm says it has transferred some work out of the
:14:18. > :14:21.Inchinnan factory whilst reviewing its supply chain and says it is
:14:22. > :14:27.facing challenging market conditions.
:14:28. > :14:30.The trial of a man accused of murdering his mother, and burying
:14:31. > :14:37.her body on an Edinburgh hill, has entered its final stages. James
:14:38. > :14:40.Dunleavy known as Seamus, who's 40, denies killing and dismembering
:14:41. > :14:43.66-year-old Philomena Dunleavy, and of disposing of her body in a
:14:44. > :14:46.shallow grave. Lawyers in the case have been making their closing
:14:47. > :14:50.speeches. The judge will give the jury his legal direction tomorrow.
:14:51. > :14:54.The village of Arrochar on Loch Long is one of the country's most popular
:14:55. > :14:58.beauty spots. But it's not that pretty at the moment. Recent storms
:14:59. > :15:02.have washed up tonnes of unsightly litter and debris. The council says
:15:03. > :15:06.it will work with the community to try to clear the coastline before
:15:07. > :15:13.the tourist season. Arrochar sees itself as the gateway
:15:14. > :15:16.to Argyll. But this is what has greeted visitors since the storm on
:15:17. > :15:24.January third. Believe it or not, this is a car park. A disaster, oil
:15:25. > :15:28.cans, plastic containers, wood... In fact, much of the seafront at
:15:29. > :15:35.Arrochar has been covered by litter and debris. It's so bad, it will
:15:36. > :15:38.take six days to clear this. People come to hear for the beautiful
:15:39. > :15:45.scenery, wildlife, and the unspoiled look of the place. When they come
:15:46. > :15:51.and it looks like this, unspoiled is not the best way to describe it. So
:15:52. > :15:54.what has caused this? Loch Long is a tidal loch. So rubbish from the
:15:55. > :16:00.Clyde and beyond gets carried up here. It has been studied before. We
:16:01. > :16:06.carried out a detailed survey of all the material on the shoreline. We
:16:07. > :16:10.were amazed to discover a great deal came from across the Atlantic from
:16:11. > :16:15.the States. It also comes from boats, yachts men, and various
:16:16. > :16:18.others. It's taken nearly a fortnight for the council clear up
:16:19. > :16:23.to start, as some other storm damage was much more dangerous. Part of the
:16:24. > :16:31.sea wall in Dunoon washed away. The road at Southend, near the Mull of
:16:32. > :16:33.Kintyre. Ultimately, most of the rubbish in Arrochar is there because
:16:34. > :16:37.of thoughtless behaviour by people who will never see the mess and both
:16:38. > :16:43.the council and local community are paying the price.
:16:44. > :16:47.Other stories from across Scotland this Thursday...
:16:48. > :16:52.Voters in Cowdenbeath will go to the polls next Thursday to elect a new
:16:53. > :16:57.MSP. One of the seven candidates is James Trolland of the Scottish
:16:58. > :16:58.Democratic Alliance. His party backs Scottish independence and wants more
:16:59. > :17:45.use of referendums Work has litres a year.
:17:46. > :17:48.There is a proposed ?40 million data storage centre on farmland near
:17:49. > :17:54.Eckel fecund in dumb preacher. The Scottish Government has overturned
:17:55. > :18:00.the appeal. It was found there were no changes to warrant closure. And
:18:01. > :18:03.some issues were deemed irrelevant. Surveyors are warning that house
:18:04. > :18:06.prices in some parts of Scotland could be unsustainable, if more
:18:07. > :18:08.properties don't come on to the market. The Royal Institution of
:18:09. > :18:12.Chartered Surveyors says its latest survey points to the number of sales
:18:13. > :18:19.rising through 2014. But a shortage of homes could push up prices.
:18:20. > :18:22.And there are more stories from your area, and all the latest news, 24
:18:23. > :18:30.hours a day on BBC Scotland's website.
:18:31. > :18:34.The 21st Celtic Connections festival opens tonight with a line-up
:18:35. > :18:40.promising to showcase Scotland's musical legacy ahead of the
:18:41. > :18:43.Commonwealth Games. More than 2000 musicians are performing. Tonight,
:18:44. > :18:46.the classical violinist Nicola Benedetti ventures into the
:18:47. > :19:01.traditional music scene for the first time. Nicola Benedetti as you
:19:02. > :19:04.have never heard her before. It could not be more different. Most of
:19:05. > :19:10.the stuff I have got to know within the last month. Swapping classical
:19:11. > :19:16.for traditional and the violin for the federal for tonight's Celtic
:19:17. > :19:24.Connections opening concert. -- for their fiddle. Every notice should
:19:25. > :19:32.note normally, I am this has more improvising and changes made and
:19:33. > :19:39.spontaneity. Another level, a steep learning curve, me trying to adjust
:19:40. > :19:42.and keep up. The musicians involved say this collaboration shows how
:19:43. > :19:48.Celtic Connections has grown and evolved over the past 20 years. When
:19:49. > :19:55.it started, it was a Celtic Festival, traditional bands from our
:19:56. > :20:01.London Scotland, maybe can either -- Canada, now embracing world music,
:20:02. > :20:08.different styles. Audiences arriving here have been promised something
:20:09. > :20:11.bold and ambitious. This is the 21st Celtic Connections Festival and
:20:12. > :20:19.organisers say this line-up proves the event has come of age. In the
:20:20. > :20:23.year of the Commonwealth games comes to Glasgow, this years festival
:20:24. > :20:27.beach is a more international line-up, a traditional Scottish
:20:28. > :20:37.music remains at the heart of what has become the world's biggest music
:20:38. > :20:40.festival. Now to go straight to David for the
:20:41. > :20:45.sport. Good evening. Andy Murray has set a
:20:46. > :20:48.new personal record at the Australian Open tennis. In the
:20:49. > :20:51.course of a straight sets win over Frenchman Vincent Millot, Murray won
:20:52. > :20:55.an impressive 23 points in a row. The second round victory came on
:20:56. > :21:00.another day of searing temperatures, as Kheredine Idessane reports from
:21:01. > :21:10.Melbourne. You keep cool anyway you can. Ice
:21:11. > :21:17.cold mist machines certainly help. It was 42 Celsius here today, 108
:21:18. > :21:24.Fahrenheit, and it felt like walking into an Avent. Andy's Big Brother
:21:25. > :21:28.Jamie played for two hours, but could not speak to me afterwards
:21:29. > :21:32.because he was ill because of the effects of the. Little surprise,
:21:33. > :21:39.then, that play was suspended for a while and of the heat policy.
:21:40. > :21:46.Unbearable! I would not like to play. You feel for them. One ball
:21:47. > :21:52.boy fainted. Know whether problems for Andy Murray, with a late-night
:21:53. > :21:56.sentient under the roof, had no problem seeing off his opponent in
:21:57. > :22:01.state sites. The difference between them quickly apparent. -- in
:22:02. > :22:06.straight sets. But with two sets down, Vincent Millot started to
:22:07. > :22:10.play, then Andy Murray responded to magically. He won the last 23 points
:22:11. > :22:18.in a row to wrap up the match in two hours. It was 6-5, and someone
:22:19. > :22:26.shouted I had won 19 in a row, probably the most I had ever won in
:22:27. > :22:34.my career by far. It is very difficult to do that, I do not know
:22:35. > :22:40.how I did it. Next up, one Andy Murray has never lost.
:22:41. > :22:46.Rangers are asking their players to take wage cuts of 15% as the club
:22:47. > :22:48.tries to save money. Manager Ally McCoist has been in discussions with
:22:49. > :22:52.chief executive Graham Wallace, who is reviewing the the Ibrox finances.
:22:53. > :23:01.The players' wage bil is between ?6-7 million a year. -- bill. Last
:23:02. > :23:05.week, McCoist agreed to a 50% wage cut.
:23:06. > :23:09.Now, a look at what else is happening across Scottish sport.
:23:10. > :23:12.Ayr United's Michael Moffat has been banned for six matches for breaching
:23:13. > :23:16.football rules on betting. He'd placed wagers on 157 matches, seven
:23:17. > :23:19.of which involved his own team. Dundee United have given teenagers
:23:20. > :23:22.Ryan Gauld and John Souttar a winter break. They're being allowed to
:23:23. > :23:26.recharge their batteries in the sun this weekend. It won't be Dingwall,
:23:27. > :23:28.where their team mates play Ross County.
:23:29. > :23:31.Scotland's rugby sevens team have set themselves an ambitious target
:23:32. > :23:34.for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games despite a tough draw. They face New
:23:35. > :23:41.Zealand, Nigeria and Canada in the group stage. The focus is very much
:23:42. > :23:45.on finishing in the top table, which will get us into the quarterfinal,
:23:46. > :23:49.and afterwards continuing towards a medal.
:23:50. > :23:52.Scots Marc Warren and Craig Lee are one shot behind the leaders after
:23:53. > :23:56.round one of the Abu Dhabi golf championship. No TV pictures of
:23:57. > :23:58.them, so let's enjoy the shot of the day from Ireland's Paul McGinley at
:23:59. > :24:02.the 16th. Scotland have got their first win at
:24:03. > :24:07.the Cricket World Cup qualifiers in New Zealand. Beating Nepal by 90
:24:08. > :24:11.runs. Freddie Coleman 64 not out. It's one win from two for the Scots
:24:12. > :24:13.whose next match is against the United Arab Emirates.
:24:14. > :24:22.And there are more sports stories, plus all the latest news, 24 hours a
:24:23. > :24:26.day on BBC Sport Scotland's website. That is all from me.
:24:27. > :24:37.Thank you. Now for the weather. Some fairly stubborn mist and fog
:24:38. > :24:43.patches around the North, around the money first, elsewhere showers,
:24:44. > :24:51.ranks to low pressure. -- Moray Firth. Showers more weight spread,
:24:52. > :24:54.and mist and fog reforming later, showers drifting northwards. Still
:24:55. > :25:01.windy for the Northern Isles, severe gale force expected. Towns and
:25:02. > :25:07.cities, around for five Celsius, but with in cloud, lower temperatures,
:25:08. > :25:11.maybe some frost and a sea patches. Tomorrow bright spells, and some
:25:12. > :25:17.passing light showers. Noticeably in the south-west. Something heavier in
:25:18. > :25:22.the north-east. And by late afternoon, not looking too bad.
:25:23. > :25:28.Generally dry, some brightness, some passing showers. Brightness across
:25:29. > :25:35.the capital, Mike Leigh along the West Coast at -- brightness along
:25:36. > :25:43.the West Coast. Showers more frequent in the north-west. Once
:25:44. > :25:47.again, gales blow for Shetland. The rest of the afternoon, into the
:25:48. > :25:52.evening and overnight, we hold onto showers across many parts, mist and
:25:53. > :25:57.fog reforming. In the weekend, we need to look farther south, low
:25:58. > :26:03.pressure just off Cornwall will feed in a weather front which means rain
:26:04. > :26:07.as the head through Saturday. It starts off dry, some brightness,
:26:08. > :26:14.mist and fog, the rain working northwards, other North getting away
:26:15. > :26:18.with a largely dry day. East West split on Sunday, the farther west
:26:19. > :26:23.you will be, the dry it will be, wetter farther east, and still windy
:26:24. > :26:28.for Shetland. The wind probably more likely across the Northeast on
:26:29. > :26:30.Monday, cloudy on the whole, passing showers and temperatures down a
:26:31. > :26:39.notch or two that is the forecast. Let's return to tonight's main
:26:40. > :26:43.story. The search for three-year-old Mikaeel Kular, who's not been seen
:26:44. > :26:45.since he was put to bed by his mother last night. Our reporter
:26:46. > :26:50.Andrew Anderson is outside the family home in Edinburgh. What more
:26:51. > :26:55.you can tell us? It is no 22 hours since Mikaeel's mother put him to
:26:56. > :27:00.bed, the last time she saw her little boy. The police searches
:27:01. > :27:06.which have been going on all day will continue into the evening. In
:27:07. > :27:09.the last few minutes, we have seen more forensic officers go into the
:27:10. > :27:14.flat behind me. Mikaeel is two foot tall, white shark for a
:27:15. > :27:22.three-year-old, so quite a distinctive figure. Us quite short.
:27:23. > :27:26.Despite all of the publicity this case has attracted, so far there
:27:27. > :27:32.have been no positive sightings of him. It is getting cold in Edinburgh
:27:33. > :27:38.tonight. As the temperature drops, and the hours go on, concern for
:27:39. > :27:45.Mikaeel is increasing. Thank you. And that is Reporting Scotland. I'll
:27:46. > :27:47.be back with the headlines at 8pm and the late