9am Briefing: Police set to question mum after children stabbed to death

DETECTIVES were today waiting to question the mother of three young children stabbed to death in an Edinburgh townhouse, after she jumped from a second floor balcony.

Theresea Riggi, 46, was understood to be in intensive care this morning after plunging 40ft from the terraced house in Slateford Road.

The bodies of twin brothers Luca and Austin, 8, and their sister Cecilia, five, were found covered in blood in the same room of the modern three-storey home.

The grim discovery came after emergency services were called out to the house following reports of a gas explosion just before 3pm yesterday.

Police have confirmed they are treating the incident as a criminal investigation. Mrs Riggi, from Skene, Westhill, Aberdeen was involved in a bitter divorce from husband Pasquale Riggi and had previously gone missing with the children.

No interest for bank customers

BANK of Scotland is to stop paying interest on the current account balances of its small business customers.

The bank has written to businesses across the UK informing them of the decision.

Although the UK base rate of 0.5 per cent means business customers do not currently receive interest on their current accounts, it will cost them millions of pounds in total when interest rates rise.

The news came as Bank of Scotland's owner, Lloyds Banking Group, announced bumper first-half profits of 1.6 billion.

Heart disease breakthrough

IT could soon be predicted which children are most likely to develop heart disease as adults.

Scientists at Edinburgh University have discovered new genes linked to cholesterol, which can clog up arteries.

The discovery paves the way for a simple blood test that could tell which kids are more prone to problems - helping them make early lifestyle changes.