Gay police to march in Scotland for first time

By Cara Sulieman

GAY POLICE will be marching in their uniform for the first time in Scotland when they join the gay pride march in Edinburgh tomorrow.

Seventy members of the Gay Police Association from around the UK will be taking part after getting permission from their chief constable.

Thousands of people are expected to start their march down the Royal Mile at 1pm after hearing speeches from a number of invited guests.

And the historic decision comes exactly 40 years after the Stonewall riots in New York, where a police crackdown at the Stonewall Inn sparked three nights of battles in the streets of Greenwich Village.

Susan Boyle to star in the jungle

 

By Cara Sulieman

SCOTTISH singing sensation Susan Boyle could be slumming it in the jungle as she is lined up for I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

It is thought that ITV are looking to cash in on the worldwide phenomenon that the 48-year-old has become.

And with more than 100 million views on YouTube, Susan could be a dead cert to win before she even starts.

The singer’s popularity overseas, particularly in America, would bring in a new type of viewer for the programme.

Singer Susan Boyle breakdown fears not true say family

Boyle is still going strong

By Lauren Crooks

THE FAMILY of Britain’s Got Talent crooner Susan Boyle have hit back at claims the star is having a nervous breakdown.

Mary Brady, 70, said rumours that the family are arguing over their sister’s career are “lies”.

Susan is said to be desperate to let everyone hear her sing but will have to wait until the show is over until she can jet out to the US.

But Mary insists there are no problems or disagreements.

Scottish record breaker attempts a new one

Don Lennox will be running across the US

By Cara Sulieman

A SCOTTISH gym instructor will be attempting to break a world record when he runs across America – to help wounded soldiers.

Don Lennox, 41, is hoping to complete the 3100-mile marathon in 45 days, smashing the world record in the process.

Already the world record holder for ocean rowing, Don will have to run an amazing 70 miles each day to achieve his goal.

And the sports-mad runner will be raising money for Help the Heroes with his epic journey.

Chernobyl kids ray of hope

Chernobyl kids with cast of Singing Kettle

By Cara SuliemanTALKS are under way in an attempt to save trips by Chernobyl children to Scotland for their annual summer respite holiday after they were banned by their country’s President.

Alexander Lukashenko stopped all recuperative trips overseas after a teenage girl refused to leave the US after her time there last summer.

Now back home, she caused a backlash from the government who implemented the ban in order to protect their young people.

Resolving the issue

But there’s hope now for the hundreds of children who come to Scotland every year as the UK Borders Agency are trying to resolve the situation with Belarussian authorities.

It means that there is a good chance that children who visit the country every year for a month in summer will still be able to do so this year.

But there are concerns that the complex rules surrounding the agreement will still leave some children unable to take their annual holiday.

“Tragedy”

Lisa Brown, chair of Chernobyl Children Lifeline thinks it is a “tragedy” that the children might not be able to visit her and her group in Aberdeenshire this year.

She said: “I have seen firsthand the conditions the children have to endure in Belarus and it is terrible. It is a once in a lifetime experience for them.”

It is important for the kids to get a break not only from the radiation in their country, but also from the hardships that many of them face in their day to day lives.

“Left out”

Linda Walker, the national co-ordinator for Chernobyl Children Project, is worried about the kids that will be left out.

She said: “The visits are an important part of the recovery process for many of the children who are suffering from a variety of medical conditions including cancer and leukaemia.

“If the agreement goes through as it stands then teenagers aged between 15 and 17 still won’t be able to visit.

“Although we will be able to invite all other age groups, this still leaves potentially hundreds of children without the chance to recuperate in a healthy country.”

Singing Kettle

Only last year, the Singing Kettle in Edinburgh treated a group of young kids from Belarus to a private performance.

It is trips like this that are organised by the various charities across the UK so improve the quality of life for the Chernobyl youngsters.

Artie Tresize, MBE, of the Singing Kettle, said: “We were really pleased to be invited to come along to such a worthy event.

“These kids, and their families, have obviously been through an awful trauma over the last decade, and they need to have something to brighten up their lives.

“Most people are uplifted by music and if we can bring just a little sunshine into these kid’s lives then we will have done our job.”

Worst nuclear meltdown

The Chernobyl disaster on 26 April 1986 is considered to be the world’s worst ever nuclear meltdown.

The accident released 190 tons of highly radioactive waste material into the atmosphere exposing the people of Chernobyl to radioactivity 90 times greater than that from the explosion of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.