SuBo jumps on the bus to go shopping

By Andrea McCallum

SINGING sensation Susan Boyle today (fri) prepared for the launch of what is expected to be her multi-million selling debut album launch on Monday – by going shopping in Bathgate.

And showing the celebrity status hasn’t gone to her head she even travelled the short distance from Blackburn by bus, stopping off at her favourite store to buy a new outfit before her appearance on this weekend’s X-Factor.

Casually dressed in a rain coat and black trousers, and sporting her signature Burberry scarf and a splash of red lipstick, SuBo showed no sign of nerves as she wandered along the West Lothian town.

The star walked confidently from her house past the local primary school before being called over by a friend outside the newsagents.

The blonde bespeckled woman, in her 50s, shouted across the street to SuBo before walking over to have a chat.

Tokens of diplomatic thanks up for auction

 

 

By Cara Sulieman

THEY were symbols of thanks for preventing two countries from going to war over a drunken misunderstanding.

And now the silver punch bowl, cup and salver given to the American admiral who saved the day are going under the hammer in Edinburgh.

Russia and Britain almost went to war in 1904 over the Dogger Bank incident, where a nervous Russian fleet opened fire on British fishing vessels in the North Sea.

But the Americans stepped in and negotiated a truce between the two nations, who were so grateful that they sent gifts.

Group petition for law to stop future Brandon Muir cases

By Cara Sulieman

A GROUP set up in memory of Brandon Muir are to have their child protection petition heard before a committee of the Scottish Parliament.

Calling on the government to set up a Safe Guardian scheme, they hope that children who are suffering from suspected abuse can stay with a safe family member while social services investigate.

RealJustice4Brandon claim that Brandon’s life might have been saved if he had been able to stay with his grandparents instead of returning to his mother’s house.

The tragic tot from Dundee died from a ruptured intestine just hours after his mother’s boyfriend, Robert Cunningham, assaulted him.

Allan Petrie from the campaign group hopes that the petition – which will be heard by the Public Petitions Committee on December 1 – will bring in a law to help protect Scotland’s children.

Shamed MP Jim Devine fights to save political career

Jim Devine MP

By Oliver Farrimond

BELEAGUERED Livingston MP Jim Devine was last night desperately fighting to salvage what is left of his battered political reputation after a day of legal wrangling.

The Labour MP – who is currently being investigated over an alleged expenses fraud –appeared before an employment tribunal in Edinburgh yesterday to challenge a decision in August to award a claim of unfair dismissal to a former employee of his constituency office.

His former front-office manager, 45-year-old Marion Kinley, claimed that she was unfairly dismissed and her employment contract breached while working for the Westminster MP for Livingston and West Lothian between June 2006 and October 2008.

It comes at the same time as Devine faces a criminal investigation over abuse of parliamentary expenses, after he was found to have claimed more than £2,000 for electrical work, performed by a company with a false address and an invalid VAT number.

He is one of three Labour MPs to be probed over various expenses claims.

Yesterday’s appeal came after employment judge Ian McFatridge upheld Miss Kinley’s complaint, after dismissing Mr Devine’s response on a technicality because it had not been presented to the hearing in the correct way.

Vile child rapist is banned from the roads

By Michael MacLeod

AN evil child rapist twice slipped through cops’ fingers during a near decade-long reign of abuse when he was caught drink driving.

Vile Mutasim Al Mutasim, 35, was caught drunk behind the wheel of his car twice in the midst of horror attacks on primary school children.

He was stopped first in September 2006 at the capital’s Duddingston Road West and later again January 2007 at Hay Avenue, where cops found him well over three times the drink-drive limit.

But police said last night they had no way of knowing he and his brother, Eldirdeery, 24, were sexually abusing girls as young as five.

It wasn’t until April 2008 that detectives snared the Sudanese dish-washer for horrific child sex offences which were described by one judge as “beyond the understanding of a caring and civilised society”.

Easyjet in in-flight Holocaust gaffe shame

By Oliver Farrimond

EASYJET have been forced into an embarrassing apology after printing a Holocaust gaffe in their in-flight magazine.

The budget airline published racy photographs of models posing in the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin – without permission from the memorial’s owners.

The saucy shoot sees models in sultry poses leaning against sculptures erected as a memorial to the genocidal massacre of the Jews in the Second World War.

The red-faced airline have now pulled the magazines from their flights after being contacted by the left-wing magazine The New Statesman this morning (Friday).

An Easyjet spokesperson said: “EasyJet profusely apologises to anyone who may be offended by the inappropriate fashion photo shoot at the Holocost Memorial in Berlin featured in this month’s issue of the in-flight magazine.

“The magazine is produced by INK, an external publishing house, and EasyJet were not aware of the images until they appeared in print.

“As a consequence we are now reviewing our relationship with the publisher and are withdrawing this month’s issue from all flights.”

‘Sex addict’ couple in phone box romp

by Paul Thornton

A LUSTY couple who appeared in court after being caught enjoying a mid-morning romp in a public telephone box bragged: “We can’t help ourselves – we’re sex addicts.”

Randy Greig Forbes, 29, and fiancé Sarah Meikle, 23, were clocked in a steamy clinch by customers and staff – just yards from a nearby chemist.

They were arrested and admitted their raunchy antics right away before being charged with a sexual breach of the peace.

At Livingston Sheriff Court the pair pleaded guilty to committing a sexual act in public.

A not guilty plea to a second charge, claiming they also romped in a busy shopping centre, was accepted by the Crown during a hearing before Sheriff Ian Fleming.

X-Factor fans vote Dannii Minogue a cut above Cheryl Cole

by SHAUN MILNE

CHERYL Cole may be blushing at her chart success as she readies for a crack at the US market under the watchful eye of hip-hop star Jay-Z.

But it seems fellow X-Factor judge Dannii Minogue is the winner in the fashion stakes as far as Scots fans of the show are concerned at least, as they flock to stylists desperate to copy the Australian beauty’s look instead.

JUST THE BOB: Sadie Jean Sloss

Cheryl has been the one grabbing all the headlines after her album ‘3 Words’ smashed into the charts at number one helped by her own performances on the hit show.

BOUTIQUE

Yet according to the fashion experts, it’s Dannii’s 1920’s style bob haircut which is keeping the nation’s crimpers busier than usual.

Former celebrity make-up artist Sadie Jean Sloss, who is based in Edinburgh, said Dannii has sparked the busiest period at her DollyLeo boutique since she first launched her business more than a year ago.

And she says it’s all about Dannii as staff are left to work double time to cope with demand.