9am Briefing: Council and Scottish Government face court over Gathering creditors

A letter from 11 creditors to ministers warns that they "intend to pursue" the government and the council through the courts for more than 100,000 left unpaid to firms involved in the event, part of last year's Homecoming tourism drive.

The group has asked the Scottish Government to cover its losses of 100,802.65 on the grounds that The Gathering Ltd had a "remit set by the government".

THE Lockerbie bomber was said to be close to death today after a rapid deterioration in his health.

Terminally ill Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was on a life support machine in Libya and his family expected him to die within days, it was reported today.

He stopped being able to speak some weeks ago and then fell into a coma said sources close to the family.

The Libyan was controversially freed from Greenock prison on compassionate grounds last year after being diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer.

He was sentenced to life in jail after his conviction for the murder of 270 people in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland.

The decision to free him, which was taken by Scotland`s justice secretary Kenny MacAskill, sparked fury in the US and was condemned by President Barack Obama's administration.

THE architectural firm behind the Scottish Parliament building has lost another high profile figure with a special adviser quitting his post.

Dr Brian Lang, who held the same role with RMJM as former Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin, has stepped down from the company after 18 months in the job.

The former St Andrews University principal said he had made the decision to leave the firm after finding his workload there had slowed.

The company has lost a series of senior figures in recent months and cut more than 150 jobs worldwide since last year.

A spokesman for RMJM said Dr Lang had departed after a specific project came to an end.