9am Briefing: Trams 'will be major part of economic growth'

CITY leader Jenny Dawe has renewed her commitment to the troubled tram project, saying it will play a major part in Edinburgh's "economic growth" over the next 30 years.

The council leader's comments follow the publication of a new blueprint which maps out the city's future expansion.

The council-backed study states that trams are "key" to unlocking the full potential of regeneration areas across the Capital - particularly in the city centre, west Edinburgh, the waterfront and south-east Edinburgh.

• THE conviction of Luke Mitchell is among those which could come under review as a result of a test case due at the UK Supreme Court today.

In a hearing which could have far-reaching consequences for the Scottish judicial system, judges will rule on the case of Peter Cadder, a teenager charged with assault and breach of the peace, who was convicted on the basis of evidence gained before he spoke to his lawyer, which he claims breached his human rights.

Currently, police in Scotland can question suspects for up to six hours without a lawyer present, then they must be freed or charged.

Mitchell was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years for the murder of his girlfriend Jodi Jones, 14, in Dalkeith in 2003. The fact that police questioned the then 14-year-old without a lawyer is already being investigated by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

• CARDINAL Keith O'Brien has added his voice to those calling for an independent inquiry into the conviction of the Lockerbie bomber.

The leader of Scotland's Roman Catholics said he would sign an online petition calling for a review of the 2001 jailing of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103.

The appeal is being led by pressure group Justice For Megrahi, who believe the Libyan was the victim of a miscarriage of justice.

• DELAYS to EasyJet flights to and from Edinburgh Airport have doubled in the first half of this year.

Planes at the airport were on average nearly 20 minutes late between January and June, compared with less than 11 minutes in the same period last year.

EasyJet bosses admitted the performance had been poor but said it had significantly improved in the past few months.