9am Briefing: Serial sex offender John Cronin released from jail

The 39-year-old from Tranent, East Lothian, was jailed for life in 1992 for attacking a Tory activist, Judy X, in her Edinburgh home.

But following his early release in 1996, he was put back behind bars several times for carrying out crimes including fraud and armed robbery across Britain, Ireland and in Sweden. His latest sentence at HMP Birmingham was for breaking bail conditions.

Misery for commuters

COMMUTERS are facing nearly three-and-a-half years of delays following a decision to upgrade routes near to the new Forth crossing, it was reported today.

Traffic will be disrupted during construction of a new junction near the new Forth road bridge.

Transport Scotland admitted that contraflows north of the existing bridge would be required during a "significant proportion" of the upgrading work at Ferrytoll.

Salmond hails apprenticeships goal

ALEX Salmond today revealed the Scottish Government had exceeded its target of delivering 18,500 modern apprenticeships in the past year.

Visiting the Edinburgh Construction Group's site at Edinburgh University, the First Minister announced nearly 20,000 people in Scotland had started a modern apprenticeship since April last year and were now receiving training and skills development to help them into long-term employment.

100,000 bill to visit Scottish Parliament

TAXPAYERS face a 100,000 bill to allow coach parties to visit the Scottish Parliament - because it has no bus stop.

Despite 14 million of the Parliament's 431 million cost being spent on landscaping, no provision was made for coaches.

Holyrood officials signed a contract for tour buses to stop and turn at neighbouring tourist attraction Our Dynamic Earth and to date have paid almost 100,000, it was reported today.

Warning over uni clearing

THE new head of the university admissions service has warned young people to forget about finding a place through clearing as analysis shows at least 50,000 more school-leavers with good grades will fail to get on a course this autumn compared with last year.

New Ucas chief Mary Curnock Cook advised school leavers to instead consider going to university later in life.