Scottish ministers are to urge the Home Office to consider allowing the children of failed asylum seekers to remain in the country, The Herald has learned.

Changes in the law which will make it easier for former shipyard workers to claim compensation for asbestos-related lung cancer will be approved later.

Patients are having to wait longer for routine operations such as hip and knee replacements, despite claims that waiting lists are at an all-time low. Figures obtained by The Scotsman show that since 1998, median waiting times have increased for 17 out of 25 common procedures.

More money to fund wheelchair services was demanded yesterday after NHS staff said a £1 million injection from the Scottish Executive was nowhere near enough. Around 96,000 people in Scotland use wheelchairs, but many face long waits for upgraded equipment.

It is a typical family portrait. Hastily arranged, a little stiff. The children are plump and happy; a basket of apples and grapes rest at their feet. Everything is in order for this sunny Scottish family – the Glassfords, one of Glasgow’s wealthiest in the 18th century.

The obstacles faced by raped women who confront their attacker in court have been highlighted by a new report that shows their case is likely to be delayed more than any other. Research conducted by Aberdeen University has found that rape and attempted rape cases will typically be adjourned more often than cases involving any other crime.

Parenting classes should be given to schoolchildren as part of a drive to rid Scotland of its violent reputation, says one of Scotland’s most senior police officers. Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan, the head of the national Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), said too many children are being brought up without the life skills needed to make the right choices.

Mothers of infants with a disfiguring medical condition will today descend on Holyrood to condemn a decision by ministers not to make expensive treatments available on the NHS. Dozens of parents and children affected by plagiocephaly, commonly known as Flat Head Syndrome, are to urge the Scottish Executive to roll out the use of specially-moulded helmets which reshape babies’ skulls.

The people of Braemar have told the Scottish Ambulance Service they will not accept any withdrawal of paramedics from the village. BBC Scotland revealed the possible closure of the depot, ahead of a public meeting with ambulance officials.

Teachers in mainstream schools do not expect as much of children with special needs as their counterparts in special schools, new research has suggested. The Strathclyde University study has raised concerns the pupils may not be doing as well as they could.