17/05/2016 Reporting Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon is to be reappointed as First Minister of Scotland

after MSPs backed her for the job in a vote

Ms Sturgeon won 63 votes, compared to her only challenger,

Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie, who picked up five votes.

Here's our Political Editor, Brian Taylor.

Team Sturgeon, the return First Minister says she relies

on the support of her family to do the day job.

Her parents, neice, nephews and a husband at her shoulder.

Her nomination papers were signed by her deputy.

We are all minorities here. Nicola Sturgeon said she was seeking her

own mandate. 18 months on I am a little but older and a lot wiser.

Finally Parliament divided on party lines. The number of votes for a

Willie Rennie is five. The number of votes for Nicola Sturgeon is 63. I

shall now recommend to Her Majesty that she appointed Nicola Sturgeon

as the First Minister. Congratulations all round,

her niece was delighted. Ruth Davidson didn't stand

because her election pitch She accused the SNP of relying too

much on executive power Is this Parliament, which holds

the real unchallenged mandate. Kezia Dugdale from Labour said

the new Administration would need support to govern

and faced a blunt choice. She can look to the left

where she will find allies and progressive parties who believe

in the power of government Or she can look right

to conservative forces to ask Patrick Harvie of the Greens

warned Nicola Sturgeon against following UK

Tory spending cuts. The First Minister must ignore

the increased number Willie Rennie reminded Nicola

Sturgeon she lacks a majority. Because we are minorities we need

to hunt for agreement with others. There is, quite simply,

no greater privilege than to be elected to serve

as the First Minister She acknowledged the new balance

of power. On the 5th of May, the people

of Scotland gave me a clear mandate to govern, but also an instruction

to do so inclusively. But then she indicated her approach,

listing a series of issues where she disagrees

with the Conservatives in describing her government as left

of centre social democratic. I will do everything I can to ensure

this moment in history marks the beginning of a new age

of national self-confidence. After the vote, back to daily

business as Nicola Sturgeon met up One of the women accused

of murdering Liam Fee has been telling the court she had worries

the two-year-old was self-harming. Nyomi Fee told the court

she and her partner Rachel were concerned about changes

in Liam's behaviour and believed Nyomi Fee on the right was giving

evidence in her defence. She said she had an affair

with Rachel Fee in 2010 and when Rachel became pregnant,

they made plans to move to Scotland. Nyomi Fee said when the boy's father

found out about the affair, They spent five weeks

at the Travelodge in Glenrothes The couple were married

in June the following year. Nyomi Fee said in the summer

of 2012, Liam went to a childminder. But after that she said

his behaviour changed, he didn't want to interact

and he would pinch himself She said he began to freak out

and he wasn't the same little boy. They googled the symptoms and feared

he had autism. They discussed this with the health

visitor and doctor, anybody She said it was upsetting to see

Liam self-harming and not knowing She told the court that around

the time she noticed changes in his behaviour they had concerns

about a child they looked after because he was showing

sexualised behaviour towards women. She said she would give him lines

and smacking, but there was never They deny murdering Liam Fee

and blaming his death The trial at the High Court

in Livingston continues. An 18-year-old man has been

arrested and charged following a crash in Edinburgh

in which a 33-year-old nurse died. Jill Pirrie was hit by a car

that was being pursued by police on Old Dalkeith Road last

Thursday evening. Police Scotland said the man had

been charged with a number He is expected to appear at

the city's Sheriff Court tomorrow. The amount of whisky exported

from Scotland fell last year and so did the value

of overseas sales. The industry has blamed

the decline on the instability of worldwide markets but says

there are some positive signs. It might not be everyone's idea

of a whiskey distillery but this is Scotland's newest

on the edge of Glenrothes. Here is the first of

the whisky flowing out. It will be years before this is

bottled and sold around the world. The Scotch whisky industry

is a long-term industry. You cannot worry about

next week's numbers. You cannot live like that,

you have to look long term and have Today saw the latest health check

on the state of the industry. Exports were down last year

but there are signs of recovery, especially amongst

the high-value, single malts. The total value of Scotch whisky

exports in 2015 was close The number of bottles exported,

more than a billion. Down by nearly 3% but the equivalent

of 34 bottles every second. Exports slumped to countries hit

by the downturn in oil prices, but Mexico saw growth,

with the USA and France remaining 90% of Scotch whisky is exported,

so we are dependent on what happens Obviously, the last couple of years

have not been brilliant. Some of the big markets have

declined, some have done well. We are, to some extent,

at the mercy of those conditions. In Fife, the first of the whisky

from this new distillery The malts won't go on sale

until the end of the next decade. No one can predict what the state

of the market worldwide will be by then, but they are hoping

there will be a taste Pupils face a lottery

in the number of exams they can sit in fourth year

according to a report Here's our education correspondent

Jamie McIvor. Back in the day and academically

able students typically sat eight O grades at the end

of their fourth year. These youngsters are just

starting their courses. I am doing seven National fives,

English, mathematics, chemistry, biology, modern

studies, history and food. I am doing German,

national maths and English. Youngsters do seven qualifications

in fourth year. At a few schools they do five,

but at a few others, they do eight. There is no Scottish policy

to reduce the number in some aspects of curriculum

for excellence guidance and the interpretations which have

been put on that guidance locally. These views may resonate

with some parents. Last year, we told you about a row

at the school in Helensburgh when nobody sat exams

in fourth year. The council has relaxed the system,

but this parent remains unhappy and moved his son

to an independent school. It should be every student's

right in Scotland to It shouldn't be down

to the headteacher of the local But across Scotland,

are youngsters losing out Many in education argue what really

matters is what students have achieved by the time

they leave school. 85% to 90% stay on to fifth

year and a good number This should be the focus

on the exit qualification The school should be building

towards that to maximise attainment Standardising fourth-year isn't

currently on the cards, but this report reflects concerns

of at least some parents. Scot Dan Wallace booked a place

in tomorrow night's 200 metre medley final after finishing

seventh in the semis at the European Swimming

Championships in London. silver for Team GB in the 100

metre breaststroke final, finishing behind world

champion Adam Peaty. he is tattooed race. I have two up

my game as well. It's over to Christopher now

with the weather forecast Another clump of cloud coming our

way on Thursday. Tonight it is cloudy and damp for most. Reasonably

mild. Some morning brightness around the West and south-west. One or two

showers at times. Not a cold start. Still fairly cloudy. That wet

weather across northern Aberdeenshire and the Highlands and

Islands. As we head through weapon States some brighter conditions

through Central Scotland and towards the south-west. Slow moving showers

developing. The same story across the UK. Those showers are thundery

across England. Best of any brighter weather in the West. Decent spells

of sunshine across the West and south-west by mid afternoon. Where

you have to cloud it will be cooler. Slow moving showers could be there

for some time. Marquee on the north Sea coast to start Thursday. That

second clump of closed bringing rain by Thursday afternoon. England

staying reasonably dry until later in the day. Friday, the weather fans

have cleared but low pressure still in charge. Fairly frequent showers

and quite windy at times. That cloud across the United States, this is

what it is likely to look like on Saturday and Sunday. Wet and windy

spell of weather. Our next update is during Breakfast

at 6.25 tomorrow morning. But from everyone on the late team

here in Glasgow and around