By Andrea McCallum

AN EX-CONFECTIONARY worker who demanded sex from a 12-year-old girl and performed a sex act on her has been jailed.

Stewart McArthur, 46, forced the girl onto a bed before committing indecency and a serious sexual assault.

The events only came to light after the victim’s mother found notes suggesting her daughter was contemplating suicide following the abuse.

Yesterday (Monday) at the High Court in Livingston, perverted McArthur was jailed for six years and was put on the sex offenders register for life.

Lord Bracadale said the incidents had been a “gross breach of trust”.

He said: “You have pled guilty to two very serious charges of a sexual nature in relation to a 12-year-old girl over a period of a year of frequently engaging with her in various lewd and libidinous practices.

“This was a gross breach of trust and has clearly had a profound effect on the girl.

“Clearly a custodial sentence is the only appropriate sentence. I accept that you have shown genuine shame and that you have admitted your involvement from an early stage.

“I consider that taking the two charges together the appropriate custodial sentence will be nine years in prison.”

Due to McArthur’s early plea his sentence was reduced to six years.

McArthur had previously admitted using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices towards the girl on various occasions during November 2002 and November 2003.

The charges included handling her breasts, kissing her on the mouth and body and inducing her to handle his private parts.

The court had previously heard that the 12-year-old girl had contemplated suicide because of the abuse and feeling like there was nothing to live for.

In 1997 McArthur was fined £400 for two indecent assaults.

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

By Andrea McCallum

A POLICE pipe band tutor has been cleared of assaulting a teenage girl on the group’s coach as they made their way home from a music competition – despite touching her breast.

Iain McAlister had been accused of assault after allegedly quizzing the 18-year-old girl about her nipples before unbuttoning her top and “tugging” at her boob.

The 39-year-old had previously admitted during evidence that he had made seedy jokes about her breasts and that he may have touched her “by accident”.

But at Livingston Sheriff Court yesterday (Wednesday) Sheriff Martin Edington branded the incident an “indecent ” – but was satisfied no actual crime had been committed.

He said: “It is indecent – there was contact between your hand and her breast.

“But it was not assault.

“I therefore find you not guilty.”

Sheriff Edington said that the trial’s first witness was credible, but that parts of her story – including which breast he touched – were unreliable.

He added: “The second witness was very reluctant and it was like pulling teeth.

“But he was honest and reliable and said that you did touch her breast deliberately.

“You were also a credible and reliable witness.”

McAlister – a bass drummer in the Lothian and Borders Police Pipe Band – was suspended by the group following the alleged incident.

Outside court, McAlister, from Bathgate, said he was “relieved” the trial was finally over.

McAlister’s solicitor, Iain Smith, said the incident was part of the “horse play” on the bus.

He said: “Mr McAlister said he may have touched her breast.

“His evidence is clear and simple – he had been drinking and intervened mid conversation about her breast.

“It was rude and smutty and he joined in and as he was about to leave he made a gesture to pretend to touch her breast.

“He may have touched it and if he did he didn’t intend to touch it.

“His behaviour was not gentlemanly but certainly not criminal.

“He touched her breast and that’s not allowed.

“It was not a deliberate act but part of the horse play which was going on.”

During the three day trial, it was claimed McAlister unfastened the girl’s clothing and placed his hand on her breast during a coach journey from the Scottish Pipe Band Championships on May 16 last year.

The girl also stated that McAlister had asked her if her nipples were pink or brown.

But he contested: “I did not mention the colour of her nipples.

“I jokingly moved towards her as I moved away, I would describe it as a shadow punch sort of thing.

“I have no recollection of touching her breast, if it happened it was purely accidental. If it happened it was a fleeting glance.

“She was laughing and joking.”

The court heard previously that McAlister had drank three cans of lager, a pint and “three quarters” of a second one during the course of the competition, but had said that he was “more sober than drunk”.

He said he began cracking jokes after seeing the girl talking with two others in the band.

And he said that the smutty innuendo was commonplace in the band, adding that “everyone was fair game”.

He said: “She had a blouse on which was very low and a vest top on underneath it.

“My parting shot was that for all the use the blouse was doing she might as well take it off.”

But he insisted he did not mean to upset the teenager and was not sexually excited by the incident.

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

By Cara Sulieman

A WINDSWEPT Susan Boyle breezed back into Scotland yesterday (Wed) after making a flying visit to America to launch her debut album.

And with her first disc ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ already going down a storm in the charts, SuBo said the outlook had never looked sunnier.

Sheltering from rain and gales with her trademark hair protected by a hood, she wandered around her locals shops almost unnoticed at first back in her West Lothian hometown of Blackburn.

Sporting a bright red scarf – complete with a badge of her pet cat Pebbles – she was eventually stopped by overjoyed friends and school children keen to welcome the star back home.

“Brilliant”

But she admitted her new jet-set lifestyle had left her a little bleary eyed.

Smiling Susan, 48, said: “I got back from America this morning and am a little jet lagged. New York was absolutely brilliant.”

Asked how promoting the new album was going, she grinned broadly, and said: “I hope everyone likes it.”

The Britain’s Got Talent performer protected herself from the elements with a light cream waterproof jacket.

But there was no hiding her new found celebrity when she was spotted by school kids eager to take her picture on their phones.

Breaking records

Despite looking tired, the star still took her time to talk to the kids, before walking home in the rain.

SuBo sold more than 130,000 copies of her album in the first day when it was released on Monday.

The Britain’s Got Talent Star is also widely rumoured to be outstripping the rest of the week’s top five albums combined.

If she sells more than 363,735 copies by Sunday – she will go down in history as having the fastest selling debut album in UK history.

The record was previously set by the Arctic Monkeys’ when they released ‘Whatever People Say I Am’ in January 2006.

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

I was going to write a post about ‘How a Heart Defect Affects my Life’, to participate in Steve’s Blog Carnival, but, unfortunately, I didn’t leave myself enough time to get it done – the deadline is today. I might write it anyway, though, but probably not until the weekend.

I made salmon curry last night, for the first time. I used this recipe, but I didn’t have any coriander, mushrooms, fish sauce or asparagus and I added a yellow and a red pepper towards the end of the cooking time, so I supposed it didn’t end up bearing much resemblance to the original recipe! Anyway, it was very nice, if I do say so myself.  Mind you, I’m the only person who’s eaten any of it so far (Mr C was out last night), so others may disagree.

I have now realised that I had mushrooms in the fridge all along. Never mind, it’s too late now.

Exercice périlleux qu’est l’exposition thématique, qui dans bien des cas aboutit à des problématiques hasardeuses et des propositions “fourre-tout”.

L’exposition au MAM regroupe les oeuvres de douze artistes dont Joan Mitchell, Martin Kippenberger, Willem de Kooning et James Lee Byars, autour d’un thème : la mort imminente, leur mort imminente.

Le parcours nous fait découvrir à travers chaque salle l’oeuvre tardive d’un de ces artistes, ou plutôt nous montre à voir les oeuvres produites par un artiste qui sait qu’il va bientôt mourir. Beaucoup de ces artistes sont morts jeunes, fauchés par le sida, comme Robert Mapplethorpe, Felix Gonzales-Torres ou l’artiste israëlien Absalon. D’autres, on vécu plus longtemps avec un mal incurable comme Chen Zhen.

On découvre alors que chacun interprète ou intègre cette mort annoncée de manière très différente. On ressent l’urgence de peindre dans les dernières toiles de Hans Hartung, qui à la fin, produit plusieurs toiles par jour grâce à un procédé de projection de peinture sur la toile. Pour d’autres, c’est l’importance de la place du corps qui ressurgit dans les derniers instants, comme Martin Kippenberger qui reprend le tableau “Le Radeau de la Méduse” de Géricault dans lequel il se met en scène; ou bien la vidéo dans laquelle on voit l’artiste Absalon s’agiter violemment jusqu’à l’épuisement. Hannah Villiger elle, choisit la photographie en grand format pour archiver la dégénérescence de son corps malade.

Mais à mes yeux, l’oeuvre la plus forte est la pièce  de l’artiste James Lee Byars “The Death of James Lee Byars”, large chambre funéraire recouverte à la feuille d’or où, lors d’une performance dans une galerie en 1994, l’artiste se sachant malade, s’était allongé dans la salle, avant que sont corps ne soit remplacé par des diamants artificiels. S’inspirant des rites funéraires égyptiens, l’artiste anticipe sa mort prochaine en la mettant en scène dans un décorum grandiose et spectaculaire.

La force de cette exposition réside dans la volonté d’exposer un ensemble d’oeuvres diverses sans forcer un dialogue inutile entre chaque artiste;  il s’agit plutôt de mettre en lumière le caractère personnel de chaque démarche face à une fin identique.

Exposition Deadline au musée d’art moderne de la ville de Paris jusqu’au 10 janvier 2010

I know what you are probably thinking. What?? Deadlines are a reason to smile? And my answer is, yes, yes they are.

I like to think of myself as a very organized person, and as my fellow OCD friends will agree with, I own many calendars. Some of you may be more free spirited and have not touched a planner since your days in elementary school, but I still stand by the fact that deadlines are a reason to smile.

When was the last time that you accomplished something that you were really excited about? Currently I am in my graduation quarter at college and have to put together a portfolio of all of my work. It was so satisfying to have beat my deadline of needing it completed. Even more satisfying was checking it off my growing list of things that need to be done.

Personally, I believe when you write out a list of things that need to be done it can help you reach those deadlines on time. Then, when you do reach that goal, it feels so good to cross it off your list. It is physical proof that you set out to do something by a certain time, and you did.

I am not saying that you have to schedule in everything like when you are going to walk your dog, make dinner, etc. Just take a few minutes and write a list of a few things you want to accomplish, whether it be by the end of the day, week, month, or even a few years from now. Then hang it up somewhere that you will see it everyday.

Having those things written out will ensure you will not forget them and maybe even relieve some stress, it does for me!

So happy planning and remember to smile when you meet that deadline. : )

By Paul Thornton

A TEENAGER admitted soaking his girlfriend in petrol from a jerry can before she burned to death because he was “in a huff”, a court has heard.

Stewart Blackburn, 18, confessed to “slapping” the five-litre can at Jessica McCagh during a police interview the day after she died from her horrific burns.

Blackburn said he had soaked her in fuel during an argument because it was “the easiest thing” to throw at her.

In an interview video played to jurors at his murder trial today (Tuesday) Blackburn claimed that following the argument he lit a joint which in turn lit the fire at his Arbroath flat on April 25 this year.

Despite being pulled from the blaze by neighbours and family, Jessica suffered up to 90 per-cent burns and died later that day at Ninewells Hospital.

Blackburn was interviewed three times by police over the following days and in the third session of quizzing, he changes his version of events.

He said: “I’ll tell you the truth. I’m going to jail for this anyway. I’m just going to tell you the truth.

“I threw the jerry can at her. When we first came in the house. As she went to bed I threw the jerry can at her – there’s the truth. I did.”

Blackburn said that after an argument with Jessica, he “slapped” the green plastic petrol container at her, covering her in the flammable liquid.

He said: “Because when I went in the living room I just left with it and was trying speak to her nicely.

“I know I’m going to get done for this anyway.

“I came in and my jerry can and the fuel were sitting on the bed. Jessica jamp on the bed. The petrol can did fall over.

“Some petrol did come out, I will admit that.

“I went in. More moaning. I went like that, slapping the jerry can at her just to annoy her. I didn’t want this to happen.

“It went all over her.”

Blackburn said that following the incident that left Jessica covered in petrol he left her for a short while before coming back to make up.

He said: “I went in five, 10 minutes later speaking to her calmly. She was speaking to me calmly back.

“I was like ‘Jessica do you not want to get to the bathroom’ and like wash herself down.”

Blackburn claimed that following the reconciliation he started to light a joint that he had earlier rolled – he claimed it was hot debris from this which lit the fatal fire.

He said: “She sat up and that’s when I lit the thing and she just went pfff. It was not actually her that went up first it was the bed.

“The joint, the bombers (small pieces of hot cannabis resin that fell from the joint) that’s what happened.

“I didn’t think it would happen.”

Blackburn insisted that he did not want to kill Jessica but said he was “in a huff” with her.

He said: “I realise that I’m going to get caught so I’m telling you now. (I) just want it to end.

“I was in a huff. Slapped the jerry can at her because it was only thing that was there and she was annoying me shouting at me and it was easiest thing to throw at her, slap at her.

“It went all over her.

“I didn’t want to kill her anyway.

“I love her so much I can’t believe this has happened. It is all my fault.”

But Blackburn soon begins lamenting the possibility of being jailed over her death.

He said: “If I go to jail I can’t even go to her funeral or anything. That’s my life gone in jail. That’s me gone for the rest of my life.”

Less than an hour later Blackburn with charged with Jessica’s murder.

It is alleged Blackburn threw petrol over Jessica and her bed before setting fire to her, causing the injuries that killed her.

Blackburn also faces an assault charge against Jessica as well as claims he pointed an air-rifle at two men and repeatedly pulled the trigger.

Blackburn denies murder at the High Court in Livingston. The trial before Judge Lord Bracadale continues.

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

THE SCOTTISH War Blind celebrated the start of work on their multimillion pound facility yesterday (Tues).

The new centre is backed by Iraq hero Ben Shaw, 26, who lost his eyesight in a roadside bombing near Basra in February 2007.

As the charity’s youngest user, it is hoped the new Linburn complex – which replaces the run-down 1940s building – will provide brave war veterans like Ben to get the vital help and support they need.

Costing £3 million, the services in the new centre will focus on teaching the ex-servicemen and women how to cope with modern life without their sight.

Rebuild lives

As well as those recently injured in the line of duty, the charity also assists older clients who are suffering from worsening or progressive blindness.

When the existing building first opened in 1944, the organisation provided vocational training for those returning from war with visual impairments.

But nowadays the focus has evolved towards helping soldiers rebuild their social and life skills, developing hobbies and providing a community for them.

Ben was on his second tour of Iraq when he was severely injured by a roadside bomb outside of Basra.

His vehicle was thrown into an oncoming petrol tanker and he was wounded by shrapnel.

“Flashes”

Ben’s comrades dragged him out of the wreckage and drove straight to the British Military Field Hospital.

The soldier can’t remember a lot of what happened to him at the time.

He said: “I have flashes of memory, although a lot of it has gone.

“I can remember arguing with one of the guys about batteries for equipment, and the last thing I remember seeing was a friend holding a towel to my head as we were on the way to the hospital.

“I still had sight in one eye at that point, and I was looking up at him as he told me I was going to be OK.”

“Essential”

One of Ben’s eyes was lost in the explosion and surgeons were unable to save the other as the optic nerve had been severed.

George Notman, facilities manager for Royal Blind and Scottish War Blinded, said men like Ben are now the charity’s main beneficiaries.

He said: “Since the 1940s, the needs and demographic of those we support have evolved and we are committed to ensuring our facilities are suitable for the generation in which we are operating.

“This new facility is essential in bringing our services up to date, providing effective support and skill development and ultimately delivering what our beneficiaries now need.”

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

Gerry lookalike on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross - from eBay.

 

By Cara Sulieman

SCOTTISH hunk Gerard Butler has shown his soft side by donating his teddy bear lookalike to Children in Need.

The big-hearted actor – best known for his testosterone charged role in blockbuster film 300 – has added his autograph to the prize.

The cuddly toy featured on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, where one was made of each guest on Friday 12 November.

Dressed in a red cape, brown pants and carrying a spear, the bear is styled on the star’s role as King Leonidas in the 2007 film which saw Butler screaming his way through the sword and sandals flick.

“This is Sparta!”

The stuffed Butler bear shouts “this is Sparta” when pushed in the tummy, and sports a drawn on six pack.

Made by Build-A-Bear – who make the official Children in Need Pudsey Bear – bids had already reached £430 last night (Tues), with three days left to go.

When the 40-year-old saw his doppelganger, he broke out into a big grin, saying: “I’ve had a couple of dolls made of me, but not a bear.”

And when he heard it speak, he added: “It sounds like my mum!”

The Paisley-born star was in the UK for the European premiere of his new film, Law Abiding Citizen, which was held in Glasgow.

It was also his 40th birthday on the day he appeared on the show – and a weekend of celebrations in London and Scotland followed.

As well as donating his signature to the cause, Butler filmed a link for the main Children in Need programme on BBC last Friday, urging people to donate to the charity.

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

By Cara Sulieman

A SCOTTISH teacher has said that school kids should be encouraged to use Wikipedia for school research, despite doubts over the accuracy of the information on the site.

Ollie Bray, deputy head teacher at Musselburgh Grammar, said that pupils should use it to learn how to evaluate the credibility of information.

But the online encyclopaedia has a reputation for being unreliable as anyone can edit the information it carries, and parent groups say it makes their kids “lazy”.

There have been a number of high profile mistakes on the site – just last week Thierry Henry’s entry had to be locked as angry users vandalised his profile after his handball during the France Ireland football game.

Discussion

But Ollie insists Wikipedia is a valuable teaching tool – and reckons it is better to teach pupils how to use it properly rather than ban it.

He said: “We, as teachers, should be looking at these disclaimers and working with young people to discuss why articles are disputed or contradict themselves.

“If we start with the belief that everything is subject to opinion, then we can work on how to validate it.”

He suggests teachers and pupils study the “discussion”, “source” and “history” tabs on the website.

The discussion tab will show the youngsters how much debate goes into reaching a compromise when changing disputed facts.

Better access

And he thinks that these skills should be taught alongside internet safety and responsible use, as biased information could also be seen as “inappropriate content”.

He said: “There is extreme content on the internet, but kids only find it because they go looking for it.”

And the teacher – who is currently working for Learning and Teaching Scotland as a national adviser for emerging technologies – also wants kids to have better access to sites such as YouTube, which is banned in some schools and allowed in others.

He said: “Why is it fair that children in East Lothian can get access to hundreds of hours on Channel 4, National Geographic or the Scottish Parliament, when other schools and teachers have not got access to these resources?

“It means that children don’t get to benefit from it, or the teacher or head has to spend time procuring resources which are available for free.”

IT savvy

But the internet site has been blamed for making Scottish schoolchildren lazy, with parents worried that their kids are relying on someone else to do all the hard work for them.

Eleanor Coner from the Scottish Parent Teacher Council said: “Children are very IT-savvy, but they are rubbish at researching.

“The sad fact is most children these days use libraries for computers, not the books. We accept that as a sign of the times, but schools must teach pupils not to believe everything they read.

“It’s dangerous when the internet is littered with opinion and inaccurate information which could be taken as fact.”

Although Wikipedia is edited by its users, the site monitors the changes and responds to inaccuracies when it can.

A disclaimer on the site says: “While Wikipedia articles generally attain a good standard after editing, it is important to note that fledgling, or less well monitored, articles may be susceptible to vandalism and insertion of false information.”

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

I’m stuck… I have mind block not good as I have to think of things that I can put into my magazine, it’s not the graphics its the content that I’m stuck with… it sucks to be honest!

By Cara Sulieman

THE CHIEF Constable of the British Transport Police said that public transport in Scotland should always be policed by his force – even if the debate on a single Scottish constabulary results in change.

He spoke of being able to “police across boundaries” when he met Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill in Edinburgh today (Tues) to talk about the ongoing partnership between the BTP and the Scottish Government.

Andy Trotter’s comments come just a week after Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson backed calls for radical reform of forces across the country.

And in Scotland there has been a long-running debate on the future of the country’s policing, with ex-Chief Inspector of Constabulary Paddy Tomkins calling for one massive force to be created.

“Strong partnership”

Mr Trotter took over as the Chief Constable in September this year after five years as Deputy of the organisation.

And he hopes to continue what he calls a “strong partnership” between the BTP and local forces in Scotland – saying a combination of local knowledge and sizable resources were needed to effectively tackle crime.

Mr Trotter emphasised the BTP’s ability to chase criminals around the country without having to go through reams of paperwork.

He said: “The work that we do knows no boundaries, we chase criminals across boundaries. As well as working with local police forces in the UK, we work with authorities in France and Belgium as part of policing Eurostar.

“Criminals don’t respect boundaries, and victims of crime don’t understand these boundaries either. You can get a lot of debate between police forces about whose ground a crime happened on.

“The victims don’t want to know about this debate, they don’t care. People do things at the start of their journey, they do them at the end, and they do things in between. It is important that we are able to get them wherever their crime took place and wherever they go.”

Local knowledge

He went on to say that it isn’t just this ability to “cross boundaries” that makes up effective policing, but local knowledge plays a large part as well.

And he thinks that Scotland has a good balance of local knowledge and co-operation between forces.

Mr. Trotter added: “I have found that in Scotland there is a much more corporate approach to policing. The very small forces get help when they need it from the big forces.

“What the community wants is a local force they can talk to, and they get that too.”

And that “local knowledge” is so important to Mr Trotter that he has given his area commander Chief Superintendent Martyn Ripley free reign to run the force in Scotland.

Anti-social behaviour

He said: “I give my area commander in Scotland a lot of freedom. He has targets to meet but apart from that he runs the force up here as he sees fit.

“These are local solutions to local problems. This is a very Scottish approach.”

The pair discussed the newly introduced fixed penalty notices to tackle anti-social behaviour on the rail network.

Since they were introduced in April, 162 fixed penalties have been handed out for offences such as breach of the peace and drinking in public.

And the justice secretary said that he had recently experienced how safe the railway was after dropping off a friend at Waverley train station on Saturday night.

“Good atmosphere”

He said: “I was down in this (Waverley) station on Saturday night where I was showing a friend back to a town along the road from here where we both come from and it was a remarkably good atmosphere.

“The rugby fans were going home and station was safe, secure and well policed.”

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

Students,

I’m sure many of you are feeling the stress with college applications. I bet you’re looking forward to a few days off from school. But as you know, deadlines for college applications are fast approaching and there is little time to waste!

If you are working on your college applications during the break and you have any questions, please feel free to email me at catherine.melton@acps.k12.va.us. You can also email me your ESSAYS and PERSONAL STATEMENT and I can help edit and offer suggestions. Any questions about the college application process are welcome!

I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving break!

By Michael MacLeod

DETECTIVES are hunting a vicious thug who smashed a bottle over a man’s head then plunged it into his stomach.

The 20 year-old victim was last night recovering at home after getting 11 stitches to sew up extensive stab wounds.

Cops in Edinburgh said the “brutal assault could have ended with the victim suffering even more serious injury.”

The attack was sparked by an argument between two groups of young males in the capital’s Bruntsfield Place around 4am on Monday morning.

The argument ended with the victim being set upon by two suspects, one of whom was brandishing a bottle.

He smashed the bottle over the victim’s head, before using it to stab him in the stomach.

The two suspects then ran off in the direction of Morningside Road and were last seen near to Hartington Place.

Medics at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary kept the victim in hospital overnight and released him after treatment yesterday (Tues).

Detectives called on witnesses to come forward.

They said both suspects were both white, stocky in height and aged around 20.

The first had dark hair with a spiked fringe and was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and blue jeans.

The second suspect was said to have short dark hair and a dark suit with a blue shirt.

A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “This was a brutal assault which could have ended with the victim suffering even more serious injury, and we are appealing for any information that can assist us in identifying those responsible.

“Anyone who was in the area of Bruntsfield Place between 3am and 4am on Monday morning, who saw the incident take place, or who saw the suspects in the Bruntsfield or Morningside area after the incident took place, is asked to contact police immediately.

“Similarly, anyone with any information that can help us identify the suspects should also get in touch.”

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

+61 412 236 703

Email: sara_nathan@yahoo.com.au

=====================

   By Eka Pangulimara (Alliance of Trade Unions Congress of Indonesia – KASBI)

    * There are some asylum seekers who have gone to the hospital on their own costs, particularly one woman is said to be have an operation paying by herself, as no access for health care. Asylum seekers want Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) to assist them regarding health problem. The Red Cross has shown up on October 12 only.

    * The Asylum Seekers are still able to get food twice a day, even if IOM has withdrawn. It is the Navy who gave asylum seekers food from one local restaurant named “Simpang Raya restaurant”. But it’s not clear who is providing this food (IOM? or Navy?). Nevertheless asylum seekers complain about the food, which may have caused food poisons, as they have often found small white germs in food. Sometimes they are given spoiled food and obviously the food has poor quality.

    * The Asylum Seekers have asked to allow media to reach them, as they have been in desperate to make their miserable situation internationally known.

    * There have been eight men aged 20-30 years, who has chosen to move to the IOM shelter. However, they were arrested along with Afghan asylum seekers and then were threatened to be deported. Since this episode, the asylum seekers do not believe anymore with IOM.  

    * The asylum seekers have not had access to hot water, vitamins, diapers and sanitary napkins (for the period), there is no hygiene product.

    * On November 22^nd, there were lots of (local) people who came to help asylum seekers, but the Navy prevented these visitors from accessing to the boat.

    * The ship would be flooded if it rains much, creating really miserable conditions. With the current weather conditions, in which heavy rain have been seen at times, asylum seekers were afraid that some kind of natural disasters such as tsunami would hit.
    

    * The details of sick people on boat as of November 20^th are following :  

         1. Nirosha (20), infection bleeding, bandages are not replaceable

         2. Sobemika (1.5), serious diarrhea for 2 days – 20 times -, fever but no inventory pampers

         3. Pavani (age unknown), 4 days in the hospital because of diarrhea, low blood pressure, thyroid, cholesterol, gastric (stomach related illness), after the date of October 26 when she went to clinic where she’s got 10 times shot with much serum
         4. Darusia, (13), collapsed and cough flu
         5. Sandradewi (61), diabetes
  

         6. Sudarsini, (29), asthma, has not been given tablets or other asthma medications

         7. Mugitaran, (3), fever and sore stomach (gastric)

         8. Mada University, (2) fever

        9. Vernat (unknown age), diarrhea, vomiting, fainting

       10. One woman (30s), who were menstruating. Ravi (one of those on boat) has asked for Imodium and vitamin K to stop bleeding

By Michael MacLeod and Rory Reynolds

A SHERIFF branded a racist thug as “an arsehole” after he punched an Iranian student in the face.

Victim Yasin Hajizdeh, 23, was travelling on an Edinburgh bus when he heard passengers behind him calling him a “Paki”.

On turning around he was thumped in the face by Murdo Manson, 16, and had to be taken to hospital in an ambulance.

Afterwards, Manson admitted to police he had been “acting like an arsehole on the bus”.

And yesterday Sheriff Deirdre MacNeill QC fined him £200, slamming the assault as “despicable”.

She told him: “When you say you were acting like an arsehole, all I can do is agree with that.”

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that Manson, a part-time cleaner earning £40 per week, had been drinking at the back of a number 34 bus on the city’s Calder Road with pals on 9 May.

Mr Hajizdeh had boarded the bus with a tennis racket but quickly spotted someone had moved it to another seat without him noticing.

Fiscal Depute Trevor Smith said: “Mr Hajizdeh went downstairs but the group following him and were heard to make several comments including ‘f**k off Paki’.

“Mr Hajizdeh turned around and Manson punched him in the face.”

The victim, who was said to be a PhD student, was treated in hospital for soft tissue injuries.

Police tracked down Manson and interviewed him over the attack, before charging him with racially aggravated assault.

Prosecutor Mr Smith added: “When spoken to by police he admitted he had been, and I quote, ‘acting like an arsehole on the bus’.”

Yesterday Manson, a first offender, pled guilty to the charge before a trial.

His defence agent, Angus McLennan said: “He had been drinking alcohol.

“The tennis racket had been moved and that agitated Mr Hajizdeh.

Lashed

“He turned around and confronted the group by looking at them to see who made the Paki remark, and Mr Manson lashed out.”

Sheriff MacNeill told Manson, “It is a despicable incident for two reasons, firstly saying what you said and doing what you did.

“Secondly, behaviour like this on a public bus, where everybody is contained, is frightening for everybody.”

Last night Murdo Manson spoke of his disbelief at the Sheriff’s blast.

The cleaner claimed she was “well out of order” for publicly insulting him.

The 16-year-old said: “It was only a £200 fine I’m not a criminal. I’ve never heard anything like that before.

“It’s the third or fourth time I’ve appeared in court for that same case but it had all been formal with procedures and stuff until then.

“Arsehole”

“I don’t know if my lawyer heard.

“I didn’t hear it at first until my girlfriend told me.

“It’s well out of order.”

His mum Tricia, said she was horrified that a sheriff had labelled her son an “arsehole”.

The 46 yr old said: “It was definitely wrong what he did.

“Unfortunately he had had a few drinks but I can’t believe someone in that position would say that.

“It’s just unbelievable that she would call my son that.

“He’s a good laddie. He did do something daft but he only got a fine.

“She’s out of order.”

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

Poppy, who went missing outside the Dogs Trust in West Calder

 

By Cara Sulieman

A GREYHOUND has made a mad dash for freedom as she was being moved to a re-homing centre.

Poppy had been looked after by a local charity for the last three months and was on her way to the Dogs Trust re-homing centre in West Calder when she slipped out of her harness and ran away.

And now Lois Sinclair – who rescued the two-year-old pooch – is desperate to find her and help her get the happy home she deserves.

As the black greyhound is frightened of people, the charities are asking for people to call in any sightings of the pup rather than try and catch her themselves.

“Sweet but nervous”

Lois is so determined to find the ex-racing dog that she said she will go out any time of day or night to track her down.

She said: “Poppy is a very sweet little dog but nervous, especially with men.

“Although she’s nervous she trusts me and I think I am the only person she will answer to, which is why I will go out any time of day or night and try to find her if we get a sighting.”

The pooch escaped as she was being taken towards the reception of the Dogs Trust building in West Calder last Monday, and has been out in the howling winds and lashing rain ever since.

“Terrified”

Despite two sightings near Livingston and search parties going out every day, there is still no sign of the canine.

The pooch was brought to Lois after being a racing greyhound, but she doesn’t know what has caused the dog to be so nervous.

Lois said: “Poppy had been a racing greyhound she wasn’t racing anymore so she was brought to me three months ago.

“She is terrified of men so people shouldn’t approach her.

“You just don’t know what has happened to them before they come here. I don’t go choosing the dogs – I will take any dog and deal with any problems they have.

“Moving Poppy to the Dogs Trust was a chance to get some help with her behaviour to try and make her less nervous.”

“Keep eyes peeled”

Staff from the Dogs Trust have also been out searching for the dog, and are keen to find her so they can start helping Poppy with her behavioural problems.

Susan Tonner, manager at the West Calder re-homing centre, said: “Poppy is terrified of strangers, particularly men, so is likely to be hiding in a secluded spot without access to water or food.

“As she’s so scared of people we think she will stay away from built up areas, but we’re asking the public to keep their eyes peeled and check their outhouses and sheds for her.

“She is black but has white paws and a white ‘bib’ on her chest.”

Any sightings of Poppy should be reported to Dogs Trust on 01506 873459 or Lois Sinclair at Gracehounds on 07989 963556.

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

By Cara Sulieman

SUSAN Boyle has dedicated her record-breaking debut album to her mum – saying she promised her she would “do something” with her life.

I Dreamed a Dream hit the shops today, but had already broken the sales record for pre-orders on website Amazon.

With bookies refusing to take bets on the CD reaching the top spot in the album charts this week, the debut was a success before it even hit the shelves.

And SuBo makes several references to her mum on the cover sleeve, dedicating her most famous song I Dreamed a Dream to Bridget Boyle, who died in 2007 aged 91.

“This is for you”

She writes: “It (I Dreamed a Dream) is about a mother living in hard times.

“Very similar to my dream on a more personal level of my ‘life gone by’ with mum who died at the age of 91 and who’s ‘dream’ it was that I should ‘do something’ with my life.

“Mum this is for you.”

And elsewhere in the sleeve notes there is a picture of Susan with Bridget, along with the dedication.

It reads: “I would like to dedicate this album to my beloved mother, to whom I made a promise to ‘be someone’.”

Diversity

The 48-year-old has said before that every song featured on the album means something to her, and the lyrics are accompanied by an explanation.

These comments provide an insight into the singer, who has struggled to cope with her meteoric rise to fame since she appeared on Britain’s Got Talent in April.

After losing the final of the talent show to dance troupe Diversity, the singer was checked into the Priory suffering from exhaustion.

But the note about the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ suggests that she had now come to terms with her new-found fame.

It reads: “About finding your way. Everything was new to me. I was scared, hope its better.

“I know it can be with your continued support which I find both touching and humbling.”

And she goes on to promise more than just a one-hit wonder as she writes about ‘The End of the World’: “Don’t be silly! It’s only the beginning!

“I want you to enjoy some more!”

With millions of copies of the album already sold in pre-orders, and millions more expected to fly off the shelves this week, it is anticipated that the star will still be in the number one spot at Christmas.

Bookies William Hill have put her as favourite for the festive top spot as some bookies refuse to accept bets.

And Margaret Mitchell, 69, from Edinburgh was one of the first fans to grab herself a copy in Edinburgh today (Mon).

“Just brilliant”

Out Christmas shopping with a friend, she had made the music shop her first stop to buy the CD.

She said: “I saw her on Sunday night on the X Factor and she was just brilliant.

“I’m a big fan and have been following her since she was on Britain’s Got Talent.

“She’s just so unusual and not what we were expecting. She’s just so good. I’m looking forward to hearing the album.”

Music store HMV have braced themselves for the rush to grab the singer’s album this week, expecting more than 300,000 copies to fly off the shelves.

“Biggest release of the year”

A spokeman for the company said: “Susan Boyle’s I Dreamed A Dream is set to become the biggest week-one album release of the year.

“Our online store, hmv.com, has received one of its largest-ever customer pre-orders for any album, whilst our high street stores around the country have been receiving numerous enquiries from fans for weeks now, especially those in her native Scotland.

“Based on this huge level of expected demand, which can only be boosted by SuBo’s much-anticipated X-Factor appearance this weekend, HMV predicts that the début album from the Britain’s Got Talent finalist will shift more than 300,000 copies in just six days – making it the biggest and fastest-selling week-one release of 2009.”

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

Approaching a deadline is stressful.

Oh yeah, even for me.

This is a updated ’situation report’ from Eka Pangulimara, a member of Alliance of Trade Unions Congress of Indonesia (or KASBI), who have visited the boat in Merak Indonesia, where 255 Tamil asylum seekers have been stranded.  This report will be followed by another one, which was written by an Australian (named Anthoni Main), who have accompanied with the Indonesian team and then a letter from 8 year old asylum seekers currently on boat.

Appreciating all  three contributors… 

- Penseur21 -

1.

By Eka Pangulimara (Alliance of Trade Unions Congress of Indonesia or KASBI)

(…)

Yes we made it, We visited them on Friday (November 20th, 2009) in success. We are grateful and thankful to the support and pray of our friends who read our campaigning message that I spread through face book.

Navy was stationed there. After a debate between the Navy and us, we’ve been gone through every checkpoint. One officer named ‘Lanud’ waved his hand to indicate we can enter the area, where Tamil refugees were. The distance from the check point to the boat is approximately 150 to 200 meters. 

We could manage to obtain more detailed number of people on boat, as follows:

1) The number of people on boat is as many as 255 people. Among them are 30 women, while 31 of them are children. And the rest of them are men.

2) Out of 31 children, 17 are boys and the youngest one is 1, 5 year old. Whereas 14 are girls and the youngest one is 8 months old baby.

3) The oldest women is 62 years old, while the oldest 4 men are aged between 50-60 years old.

Tomorrow (November 24, 2009) we would discuss as to what we would do for the next step. 

2. 

By Anthoni Main,

On Friday November 20th I had the opportunity to visit the Tamil refugees in Merak. Prior to my visit I had been in regular phone contact with the refugees but to see the deplorable conditions on the boat first hand was indeed a shock.

The port has been in lock down for more than week, even the media has been denied entry. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has also withdrawn their services. Clearly there is a joint attempt by the Australian and Indonesian governments to deny these people basic necessities in the hope that it will wear them down and force them off the ship.

I was able to visit the boat because I was part of a delegation that included members of the Confederation Congress of Indonesian Union Alliance (KASBI), the Working Peoples Association (PRP) and a human rights lawyer. We were also accompanied by an official from the Indonesian Human Rights Commission.

These asylum seekers are all from the north and east of Sri Lanka. They include children, pregnant women and the elderly. All have been affected by the brutal war and all have experienced their own hardships as a result of the oppression of the Tamil minority. As one women told me “We all have our own individual horror stories”. On October 11^th, on route to Australia, their 30 metre boat was intercepted by the Indonesian navy. It has been no secret that the Australian government pressured the Indonesian authorities to act before the boat made it into Australian waters. On man commented that “Kevin Rudd calls this the Indonesian solution, how can it be a solution if we are facing deportation or jail?”

As soon as we arrived at the boat one by one people started to come out. This ship is built to carry about 40 – 50 people but more than 250 are crammed into this old wooden ship. The first people to approach me were children. A girl of about 7 years old told me that she had written a letter to the Australian authorities. It was written in Tamil but she asked me if I could get it translated and show it to them. Several other children had also written letters, one of which was in English. (See text below)

After being in isolation for more than a week it was not surprising that people that were desperate to here news and discuss the dispute. One man, Nimal started asking me some questions about the Australian governments attitude to asylum seekers. Within seconds I was surrounded by dozens of people who all wanted know why Rudd would not allow them safe passage to Australia.

After a brief discussion with the refugees’ spokespeople Alex and Kumar, I was taken on board the boat. The tour of the boat took some time because in every corner of the vessel I met with people who wanted to tell me their stories. One of the first families I met had with them a baby who was only 6 months old. The father said to me “We have been here 50 days now. This child has spent more than one quarter of her life in these terrible conditions”. Most people on the boat are sick in some way. Many have diarrhea and some have Malaria. There is also 15 diabetics on board who have had no access to insulin for weeks. On several occasions people have needed urgent medical assistance which has been denied by the Indonesian authorities. There is also only one toilet on the boat which means people have to line up at all times of the day.

The weather in Merak is extremely unpleasant. The rainy season has started to set in which means it is wet, windy and humid. The boat is covered by tarpaulins but in many areas these covers are torn and when the rain is heavy the decks get covered in water. This means people are sleeping in wet areas often without enough clothes and blankets to keep them warm.

The Indonesian Navy keeps a close eye on the ship and they are responsible for delivering food and water several times a day. The food is of very poor quality and many say it is making them sick. They have no hot water and often the fresh water they have runs out before the end of the day.

While the conditions are horrendous, most people were less interested in complaining and more interested in discussing the politics of the dispute. After being shown around the boat, as many people as could fit sat down on the main deck where we conducted a meeting. We discussed many issues including the political situation in Sri Lanka, the attitude of ordinary people in Australia to refugees and how to best build support for their struggle.

I started by telling them that while there are polarised views in Australia about refugees, there were many people who were supporting them. As well as the Socialist Party there were many progressive groups in the region who were campaigning for their rights. I reported about actions and protests that had already taken place and those that are planned in the next few weeks. I also told them about support that had come from trade unions in both Australia and Indonesia.

A few days prior to my visit it was reported that the Indonesian government was looking to deport the refugees back to Sri Lanka. But the day before my visit the Sydney Morning Herald was reporting that the Indonesian government had changed their mind and they would now allow them to be processed by the United Nations. Unfortunately no one on board had been made aware of this and even if it was true it would not guarantee them safe passage to Australia.

All on the boat were fully aware of the deal that the Rudd government had done with another group of Tamil refugees who were on board the Oceanic Viking. While the situation for the refugees in Merak is slightly different, because they are not on an Australian vessel and were not intercepted by the Australian Navy, they are adamant that they should be afforded, at the very least, the same treatment.

“We are all fleeing the same persecution” one man said “We are all refugees, we should all be treated equally”. Another man said “We believe Kevin Rudd has both a legal and a moral obligation to take us. He is a signatory to the UN refugee convention. Indonesia is not. If he believes in human rights how could he possibly let us go to an Indonesian detention centre?”

“We are resilient people, we have escaped war, we have lived in camps. All we are asking is that we are treated as human beings. If we go back to Sri Lanka we will not be treated as humans. It is possible that we will go to jail, be killed or just disappear” he said.

Only a few hours after I left the ship one of the refugees sent me a text message saying that they had just received news that a relative of one of the asylum seekers had been kidnapped by the Sri Lankan Army. A 19 year old man was pushed into a white van and has not been seen for several days. It is quite possible that along with hundreds of others he will never be seen again.

This is the reality of life for Tamils in Sri Lanaka. But despite their concern about the future, the one thread that ran through all of the discussions I had was that they are prepared to stay on the boat as long as it takes. This brave stance should be acknowledged by all workers and poor people in the region. As one man said to me as I was leaving “We are just ordinary people, not different to people in Australia. We did not start the war, we are the victims. All we are asking for is support.”

The Socialist Party and our sister parties in the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI) will do all we can to build support for this group of Tamil refugees and to campaign for the rights of all workers and oppressed people in Sri Lanka.

3.

 Letter by Brintha, 8 year old Tamil girl currently on boat

 Journey to Australia

We are Sri Lankans, there were, kidnap, kill, gun shots and bombing. Because of that reason we lost our half family and we were Sri Lankan refugees and also we lost our properties and gutere.

At that time we heard that Australia takes refugees in the country. So we got ready to go to Australia. We came to Malaysia. After two months we went to the forests. We got a hard life. For example: we got wet in the rain and drank muddy water. And also we live in middle of insects.

And later we started our journey on the wooden boat. One day suddenly the engine stopped and the weather condition was bad. It shook a lot. And the engine was okay. While we were traveling to the Indonesian border we were arrested by the Indonesian Navy. We came to Indonesian habour of ‘Merak’. And we are waiting in the boat for one month asking Indonesian government to give us a solution. But still we didn’t get an answer.

While we were arrested by the navy we asked the Australian Embazy so that lady said “you can go to the land” but we didn’t get down if we have done it we would have been in the ‘detention centre’ She was a big liyer. Her name is Miss Mickey. We had a hard life every where please gives us a solution.

Thank you, Brintha.

Okay so I went to my meeting with “the tutors” and it really didn’t go well…all my initial ideas have now been changed and rearranged but I guess if he is going to be the one who marks my work then I should do it to his standards and use some of the ideas that we discussed today. It’s so annoying though as now all the work that I have in my sketchbook is irrelevant. studying Graphic Design is a lot harder than I thought hardly any of your initial ideas go through to the final outcome.

Now I need a layout pad and some artist pens to get my started on the right track…off to the Range I go.

Ok so I was up till 3am and I couldn’t keep awake to do any more work! soo now I’m going into Uni with hardly anything…AND if that wasnt bad enough it’s absolutely pouring down outside! GREAT. well wish me luck!

by ANDREA McCALLUM

A TEEN who murdered a dad-of-two in an unprovoked attack has been jailed for life.

Thomas Main, 18, kicked and stamped Michael Wood to death in Aberdeen in June this year.

Mr Wood’s face was “smashed” during the attack and he died from his injuries.

Today (Monday) at the High Court in Livingston, thug Main was jailed for life after he previously admitted killing him.

Judge Lord Bracadale said the murder was “unprovoked” and ruled that Main must serve a minimum of 13 years before he can be considered for parole.

Defending, Mark Stewart QC, said Main had left school at an early age and had “drifted” into a life of drink and drugs.

He said: “It was the combination of his taking drink and drugs on the date in question which led to the incident which resulted in the attack and death of Mr Wood.

“There’s nothing which I can say which in any way explains or justifies the assault on Mr Wood – the apology I’m instructed to make will mean little to those affected by Mr Wood’s death.

“There is some understanding of the extremely serious nature of what occurred that day.

“There is some insight reported in the report in to the full extent of what he was responsible for and there is some indication that he understands the consequences of his actions.”

Lord Bracadale said to that the unprovoked attacked on Mr Wood involved Main “forcing” his victim down a flight of stairs and stamping on his head whilst he was unconscious, resulting in his whole face being “smashed in”.

He added: “This was a very serious assault which went on for some time.

“You have previous convictions of assault – one of which involved a weapon – and you were under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

“These are incriminating facts which will increase the length of imprisonment.

“I do take into account you age, that there was no weapon used and it was not pre-meditated.”

Relatives of Mr Wood present in the court room were elated and whispered shouts of joy when Main was handed down his sentence.

Main, was aged just 17 when he kicked 43-year-old Michael Wood “like a ball” so hard it left the distinctive pattern of his shoes imprinted on him during the attack in Balnagask Terrace late on Tuesday 9 June.

Headlock

The court heard previously that dad of two Mr Wood had split from his wife, suffered from an alcohol problem and had been on a binge with friends.

Main, who had five previous convictions for serious violence, had in turn been drinking vodka and Jack Daniels and was described as being “hyper” before he began punching Mr Wood in the face.

In evidence, the court heard previously how Main grabbed the older man in a headlock and during the struggle they both fell down stairs.

Main fell on top of the unconscious Mr Wood, breaking his fall.

But almost as soon as the teenage thug got to his feet again,he started kicking and stamping on Mr Wood’s head.

As he stamped on Mr Wood’s head one witness heard what he described as a ‘big snap’ – but still the attack continued.

Mr Wood was rushed to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after but he died from his injuries.

A Post Mortem examination later revealed his entire face had been “fragmented” with only his jaw bone still intact.

Main initially denied any involvement.

However he later admitted punching Mr Wood and kicking him “like kicking a ball” although claimed he had not meant to kill him.

Police earlier described the assault as a “cowardly and brutal attack on a vulnerable and defenceless man”

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.