9am briefing: Cairn Energy strikes gas in Greenland

EDINBURGH-BASED oil explorer Cairn Energy today announced it had struck gas in Greenland with the first well to be drilled in the Arctic territory in a decade.

While the news could be a disappointment for investors who had hoped for an oil find, Cairn said its offshore well had not yet reached target depth, holding out the prospect that oil may yet be found.

Environmental group Greenpeace has said an oil strike off the coast of Greenland would be grave news, sparking an Arctic oil rush and threatening the area's fragile environment.

Susan Boyle hits back at teenage tormentors

SINGING sensation Susan Boyle was driven to tears after being taunted by youths on a train leaving the Capital.

The 49-year-old is said to have been sitting alone on the Edinburgh to Bathgate service, on her way home to nearby Blackburn, when the yobs started mocking her.

The Britain's Got Talent star remained dignified, but was reduced to tears as the rants got worse during her 30-minute train journey on Sunday.

She hit back: "I'm normally patient but I am about to greet, greet, greet. I don't normally get angry with people. I'm ashamed of you all – shut up. I'm warning you, it's not funny. You wouldn't like it."

One concerned passenger spoke of their disgust at how Boyle was unfairly targeted, adding: "Susan was minding her own business on the train. People were taking pictures.

"There were people laughing at her - it was not nice.

"She then turned to the people sitting oppposite her and told them off. Susan certainly put them in their place - and good for her."

Rural East Lothian bus service could face axe

A BUS service that costs 50,000 a year to carry an average of 10 people each day is believed to be Britain's most expensive public transport service.

The dial-a-ride "Gaberlunzie" service, a medieval Scots word for a licensed beggar, operates in rural East Lothian and costs the council 976 in subsidies, a report has found.

It charges 1 per journey and travels through areas such as Oldhamstocks, Broxburn, Dunbar, Haddington and Aberlady.

East Lothian Council said it was conducting a review of its publicly-supported bus services to cut the budget by a third but could not confirm if the Gaberlunzie service would be axed.