9am briefing: Moussa Koussa questioned over Lockerbie bombing

POLICE have interviewed defecting Libyan foreign minister Moussa Koussa over the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, prosecutors said today.

US and Scottish authorities hope Koussa, Libya's former spy chief, will provide vital military and diplomatic intelligence on the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie.

A spokesman for the Crown Office said: "We can confirm that officers of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary...met Mr Moussa Koussa in relation to the ongoing investigation into the Lockerbie bombing."

Lothians set for sunshine

TEMPERATURES of up to 18C are forecast to see Edinburgh and the Lothians on par with popular Mediterranean resorts this weekend.

The warmest weekend of the year so far will bathe Scotland in sunshine, with temperatures in the Capital expected to be the same as Malta and just behind Rome, at 19C.

Visitors to the Grand National in Aintree will sweat it out with the mercury rising to 18C or 19C on Saturday.

Decision on future on landmark moves a step closer

A PUBLIC inquiry will be held to decide the fate of the landmark Granton gas holder and end deadlock between councillors and the National Grid.

Developers responsible for the 150ft gas holder are expected to appeal against a decision barring demolition of the 120-year-old structure, saying it will "blight" 15 acres of prime development space on the waterfront, it was reported today.

Councillors rejected the advice of their officials last year and voted against plans to demolish the B-listed structure.

SNP criticised over Futures plan

PLANS by the SNP to use "savings" from the new Forth Road Bridge to set up a 250 million Scottish Futures Fund have been dismissed as "simply unbelievable".

The new fund - described by Alex Salmond as a "jobs-boosting and society-improving initiative" - would hand 50m each to five key projects focused on children, young people, transport, next-generation digital plans and warm homes.

The SNP said it was able to find the money because the Scottish Government had budgeted to spend 1.87 billion on the new Forth crossing between now and 2016, but "thanks to skillful negotiation and procurement" the cost of the bridge had been reduced to 1.54 billion.

NMS piloting mobile scheme

THE National Museum of Scotland is to deploy new technology to allow visitors to download rarely-seen footage charting the modern history of the nation to their mobile phones.

The city attraction is piloting the use of small barcode-style squares attached to dozens of glass cases housing exhibits to allow access to achieve material.

Among the treasure trove of information, which can be instantly scanned to visitors' smartphones, is film footage and grainy photographs of factory workers, soldiers and families from history, along with celebrity interviews and landmark historical occasions.