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Farewell for now, folks

Thanks for joining us this week. We'll be back bright and early on Monday with The Scotsman daily news blog. In the interim, you can subscribe to our newsletters to keep up to date with all the latest breaking news alerts.

Terribly sad news this afternoon

The death of a transgender prisoner in custody is being treated as “unexplained” by police. Convicted stalker Tiffany Scott, 32, of HMP Grampian, died on Thursday after becoming unwell and being taken to hospital. Scott was convicted of stalking a 13-year-old girl while known as Andrew Burns in 2013 and had requested to be moved to the female prison estate early last year. The 32-year-old became ill on Wednesday night and died in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary the following day.

Now that's entertainment!

Our World Editor Jane Bradley has been looking at Putin's latest address

Relationship between councils and Government has ‘broken down’, says leader

The relationship between local authorities and the Scottish Government has “broken down”, one council leader has said, after he issued a funding plea to the UK Government.

Inverclyde Council leader Stephen McCabe wrote to Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove this week, urging him to come to the aid of Scotland’s local authorities.

The approach, which was echoed by West Dunbartonshire Council, pressed for an “urgent intervention” from Mr Gove to secure extra cash.

The council leader defended the letter on BBC Radio Scotland on Friday, saying: “We’ve got a United Kingdom Conservative Government, we deal with them all the time over lots of things.

“The reality is the relationship between the Scottish Government and local government has broken down, so we are perfectly entitled to go to the UK Government.”

On Thursday, Scottish council umbrella body Cosla joined with local government associations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, sending a letter to Jeremy Hunt urging him to provide “sufficient investment to local government”.

On Thursday, Mr McCabe’s council defied the Scottish Government, voting to increase council tax by 8.2% this year and 6% next year.

Fatal accident inquiry to be held into death of woman who was hit by lorry

A fatal accident inquiry is to be held into the death of a 26-year-old woman who was struck by part of a lorry while she was walking alongside a road in the Highlands.

Chloe Morrison died on October 25 2019 after being struck by the extended outrigger leg of a Scania lorry as she was walking along a footpath next to the A82 road at Kerrowdown Mill, near Drumnadrochit, south of Inverness.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has now lodged a First Notice to begin the court process for a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) into the death.

A preliminary FAI hearing has now been set for April 18 at Inverness Sheriff Court.

Something a little different...a dream home?

One of the very few thatched cottages in the Scottish Borders has just been launched onto the sales market.

The back of the cottageThe back of the cottage
The back of the cottage | Galbraith

Congratulations to the First Minister and his family

Wonderful news for Humza Yousaf and Nadia El-Nakla, congratulations

Just the internet being the internet

It didn't take long for the internet, and X (...Twitter) in particular, to do it's thing. Here's the Wonka/Rochdale crossover we didn't know we needed.

Some background - who IS George Galloway MP?

George Galloway will return to Parliament after one of Britain’s most divisive politicians won the Rochdale by-election.

A firebrand orator and former Celebrity Big Brother contestant, Mr Galloway has enjoyed support from some left-wing groups for his staunch support of Palestinian causes, but been accused of stoking division and using sexist, homophobic and antisemitic language by his opponents.

It was Palestine that formed the cornerstone of his campaign in Rochdale, where he became the favourite after Labour withdrew support from its own candidate over remarks about the Israel-Hamas conflict.

George Galloway has won the Rochdale by-election after a controversial and chaotic campaign.

Mr Galloway’s campaign team claimed early on in the night that the former Labour and Respect MP would win “comfortably”, and so it proved. The Workers Party of Great Britain leader received just under 40% of the vote.

In his victory speech, Mr Galloway began by focusing on Palestine, saying: “Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza. You have paid, and you will pay, a high price for the role that you have played in enabling, encouraging and covering for the catastrophe presently going on in occupied Palestine in the Gaza Strip.”

Even more Wonka reaction

Honestly, it's the story that no-one - including us - can stop talking about. Here's Rob McElhenney's take.

Good morning, happy Friday

Welcome to Friday's edition of The Scotsman daily news blog.

We'll be talking by-elections, George Galloway and, of course, about that Willy Wonka experience.

Police have confirmed that a 65-year-old man found dead next to his dog had suffered a fatal gun shot wound.

Brian Low, 65, was shot in the Pitilie area on the outskirts of Aberfeldy, Perthshire, at about 8.30am on Saturday February 17, police said.

Emergency services attended but Mr Low, from Aberfeldy, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Police Scotland spokesman said that "extensive inquiries" were ongoing into the death.

He said: "Mr Low's death was initially assessed as being non-suspicious and medical-related, but following a medical examination it was established he had injuries consistent with being fatally shot.

"The major investigation team were then contacted and a two-doctor post-mortem examination was scheduled.

"A post-mortem examination took place on February 23 which confirmed Mr Low had been fatally shot. A murder inquiry was launched immediately after.

The father of the teenage boy who murdered Brianna Ghey has been jailed for 15 months for sexual offences against teenage girls.

Kyle Ratcliffe, 36, the father of Eddie Ratcliffe, who is serving life along with his accomplice Scarlett Jenkinson, both 16, for the murder of transgender teenager Brianna, was described as a risk to girls at Manchester Crown Court.

Ratcliffe, who appeared from custody at HMP Forest Bank, Salford, admitted two offences of exposure in November last year involving two 16-year-old girls at a bus stop. The offences were committed shortly before his son went on trial.

He also pleaded guilty to taking an indecent photo of a pre-pubescent girl by covertly recording video of her in a changing room in August last year.

The court heard he has previous past convictions for similar offences.

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