:00:00. > :00:10.Tonight, on Reporting Scotland: "An absolute affront to democracy." The
:00:11. > :00:13.Deputy First Minister hits backs over claims an independent Scotland
:00:14. > :00:23.would find it difficult to secure full membership of the EU.
:00:24. > :00:26.I declare Edward Snowden the new rector for the University of
:00:27. > :00:28.Glasgow, 2014. Whistle-blower Edward Snowden gets
:00:29. > :00:35.the backing of Glasgow University students, who vote him in as their
:00:36. > :00:40.new rector. I am quite happy that he was elected because he is a big
:00:41. > :00:44.campaign in terms of privacy and the rights of individuals. He is not
:00:45. > :00:48.going to be here, in the country, and is not going to make any
:00:49. > :00:54.difference to the University. Also on tonight's programme: A Scots
:00:55. > :00:58.council asks for a share of UK money to help those affected by flooding -
:00:59. > :01:01.we look at how prepared we are to deal with the kind of flooding seen
:01:02. > :01:04.in the South of England. Residents of this Stirlingshire
:01:05. > :01:08.village are being asked to pay tens of thousands of pounds out of their
:01:09. > :01:10.own pockets to have their land decontaminated ?? WHITE And
:01:11. > :01:13.Britain's men's curlers make it through to the semifinals at the
:01:14. > :01:22.Winter Olympics in dramatic style. He has done it!
:01:23. > :01:26.Good Evening.The Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has hit
:01:27. > :01:28.back at the European Commission President's claim that it would be
:01:29. > :01:33."extremely difficult" for an independent Scotland to secure full
:01:34. > :01:36.membership of the European Union. Speaking at Holyrood, she said it
:01:37. > :01:41.would be an "absolute affront to democracy" for Scotland to be denied
:01:42. > :01:45.membership. The Liberal Democrats said it was "Napoleonic" for the SNP
:01:46. > :01:49.to think all 28 EU governments would bend to their will. Here's our
:01:50. > :01:57.political correspondent, Glenn Campbell.
:01:58. > :02:02.If there is a Yes vote in the referendum, the Scottish Government
:02:03. > :02:08.says it will seek to negotiate full membership of the European Union
:02:09. > :02:13.within 18 months, prior to its target date for independence. But at
:02:14. > :02:18.the weekend, the president of the European Commission doubted this was
:02:19. > :02:24.doable. It will be difficult if not impossible. A new member state
:02:25. > :02:33.coming out of one of our countries. The Deputy First Minister feedback.
:02:34. > :02:38.Not only is there no interest in that in the wider EU, or in anything
:02:39. > :02:45.any member state has said, it would be an absolute affront to democracy.
:02:46. > :02:55.Mr Barroso highlighted the Spanish prime minister's refusal to accept
:02:56. > :03:03.Kosovo's membership to highlight the difficulties Scotland might face.
:03:04. > :03:07.Nicola Sturgeon disregarded this comparison. If this place became an
:03:08. > :03:11.independent parliament, what would the relationship with the EU be?
:03:12. > :03:16.There was a time when the SNP said membership would be automatic, while
:03:17. > :03:21.some of their opponents argued we might end up outside the EU. More
:03:22. > :03:24.recently, though, the debate has tended to focus on the negotiations.
:03:25. > :03:28.How long they might take, and whether or not they would result in
:03:29. > :03:34.as good a deal for Scotland as we have at the moment as part of the
:03:35. > :03:39.UK. The SNP's critics are not convinced EU membership could be
:03:40. > :03:43.obtained entirely on the Scottish Government's terms.
:03:44. > :03:49.The idea that the First Minister is pulling the strings in 28 capital
:03:50. > :03:53.cities around Europe is Napoleonic in its bravado. But Nicola Sturgeon
:03:54. > :04:00.thinks we could keep a share of the UK's rebate from EU budget
:04:01. > :04:04.contributions and keep out the troubles of the Eurozone. We are not
:04:05. > :04:14.arguing for changes in the terms between Scotland and the EU, on the
:04:15. > :04:18.euro, on the rebate we are arguing for continuity. These arguments will
:04:19. > :04:24.only be put to the test if Scottish voters opt for independence in
:04:25. > :04:27.September. The former prime minister, Gordon
:04:28. > :04:31.Brown, says the Scottish Government has failed to provide the evidence
:04:32. > :04:34.that it would be able to fund pensions if the country became
:04:35. > :04:37.independent. Mr Brown says a Yes vote would mean the loss of the
:04:38. > :04:40.pooling and sharing of resources, which help pay for state pensions.
:04:41. > :04:43.But the SNP says an independent Scotland would be better placed to
:04:44. > :04:46.fulfil pension obligations and could actually be more generous.
:04:47. > :04:49.And tonight there will be more on the independence referendum in the
:04:50. > :04:57.second in our series of debates. Here's James Cook.
:04:58. > :05:02.Tonight we are debating independence in Kelso, a stone's throw from the
:05:03. > :05:06.English border. The news has been full of talk about pensions, Europe
:05:07. > :05:12.and currency, but it is up to our audience to decide what to ask the
:05:13. > :05:18.panel, including Patrick Harvie from the Green party and the Scottish
:05:19. > :05:21.Conservative leader, Ruth Davidson. That is tonight at 9pm on BBC Two
:05:22. > :05:24.Scotland. Students at Glasgow University have
:05:25. > :05:29.voted for the whistle-blower Edward Snowden to be their new rector. Mr
:05:30. > :05:31.Snowden is wanted by the authorities in America after he leaked secret
:05:32. > :05:34.documents revealing widespread surveillance of phone and internet
:05:35. > :05:37.communications by the US. He's now in Russia, where he's been granted
:05:38. > :05:42.temporary asylum. Our correspondent Jamie McIvor is at Glasgow
:05:43. > :05:45.University tonight. I suspect they will not be welcoming their new
:05:46. > :05:49.rector any time soon? Absolutely, but then again the
:05:50. > :05:54.students who have been campaigning for Mr Snowden knew he would not be
:05:55. > :05:59.in a position to come to Glasgow University to thank them any time in
:06:00. > :06:04.the foreseeable future. Still, it was an overwhelming result here this
:06:05. > :06:09.afternoon. 6500 students took part in the election. Half of them voted
:06:10. > :06:20.for Mr Snowden, with the rest of the votes split three ways, between the
:06:21. > :06:23.other candidates. As you can imagine, those students who have
:06:24. > :06:25.been campaigning for Mr Snowden are feeling absolutely euphoric. I think
:06:26. > :06:29.we have shown that we oppose intrusion into our private lives and
:06:30. > :06:33.we stand in solidarity, we believe whistle-blowers are humans rather
:06:34. > :06:39.than traitors, and we hope that in the future of the people will be
:06:40. > :06:45.whistle-blowers. There is no doubt that the role of rector is largely
:06:46. > :06:52.symbolic but at the same time the rector can be a strong advocate of
:06:53. > :06:55.the student course. The current rector is Charles Kennedy. There was
:06:56. > :07:03.something of a mixed response to the results. I think it is ridiculous,
:07:04. > :07:09.pretty much. Any particular reason? Because he is not even here. He can
:07:10. > :07:14.never come in the country. He is not a working rector. It is a stupid
:07:15. > :07:20.political statement. I am quite happy because he is a big campaigner
:07:21. > :07:24.in terms of privacy and the rights of individuals. Most students are
:07:25. > :07:33.delighted. Mr Snowden certainly is not the first absentee rector
:07:34. > :07:38.elected on political grounds. In the 1980s, Winnie Mandela was elected to
:07:39. > :07:43.the post. As for whether today is going to send out results beyond
:07:44. > :07:49.Scotland that Mr Snowden's supporters want to see, let's wait
:07:50. > :07:52.and see. You're watching Reporting Scotland
:07:53. > :07:55.from the BBC. Still to come on tonight's programme: Who cares for
:07:56. > :08:00.the carers? As part of a special series, we focus on the challenges
:08:01. > :08:04.facing those later in life. In sport, as Scotland make changes
:08:05. > :08:09.ahead of their next Six Nations tie, we hear from head coach Scott
:08:10. > :08:17.Johnson, who was on the defensive. And in Sochi, the drama of curling.
:08:18. > :08:21.David Murdoch skips Team GB to the Olympic semifinals.
:08:22. > :08:25.A Scottish council is demanding a share of the cash earmarked by the
:08:26. > :08:29.UK Government to help those affected by this winter's floods.
:08:30. > :08:33.Dumfries and Galloway was hit hard by flooding over the festive period.
:08:34. > :08:36.Now the flood waters in England and Wales are beginning to subside,
:08:37. > :08:39.attention is focusing on how communities can protect themselves.
:08:40. > :08:48.Our environment correspondent, David Miller, is with us. David, how well
:08:49. > :08:51.prepared are we here in Scotland? There's no room for complacency, but
:08:52. > :08:54.Scotland has been investing heavily in flood prevention schemes.
:08:55. > :08:58.Communities the length and breadth of the country know just how
:08:59. > :09:00.devastating flooding can be. Elgin, Stonehaven, Perth and Dumfries are
:09:01. > :09:07.among the areas left counting the cost of floods in recent years.
:09:08. > :09:10.After the flooding South of the border, the Prime Minister David
:09:11. > :09:16.Cameron said, "Money is no object in this relief effort. Whatever money
:09:17. > :09:26.is needed, we will spend it." So who'll be footing the bill here?
:09:27. > :09:34.Winter 2014 will be remembered across much of England for flooding
:09:35. > :09:38.on an almost unimaginable scale. But communities here have also been
:09:39. > :09:47.affected. Today a call for the UK Government to help meet the cost. It
:09:48. > :09:52.is the clean-up costs, they have hit over ?1 million. We simply cannot
:09:53. > :09:57.afford to keep picking up that bill without support from the Scottish
:09:58. > :10:00.Government. Expensive new flood prevention schemes should limit
:10:01. > :10:05.damage in future but Whitehall insists no new money is being made
:10:06. > :10:09.available in England, so it will fall to the Scottish Government to
:10:10. > :10:15.paperwork with its existing budget. ?42 million is available each year
:10:16. > :10:20.but this scheme alone here in Elgin is costing ?86 million. We are
:10:21. > :10:28.producing a higher level of money for flooding protection, although it
:10:29. > :10:36.does look like a small amount compared to England. When flooding
:10:37. > :10:42.does hit Scotland, it is likely to be over in a few days if not hours.
:10:43. > :10:47.Experts say our landscape is able to cope with all but the most
:10:48. > :10:51.persistent and torrential downpours. The landscape has been shaped over
:10:52. > :10:55.thousands and thousands of years by the rainfall. The rivers act as a
:10:56. > :11:01.conveyor belt to take the rental of the land and Scotland has a far
:11:02. > :11:05.denser river network and England. Expect more extreme weather more
:11:06. > :11:10.often. That is the bowling from scientists who say the change in
:11:11. > :11:15.climate will mean strong flood defences are increasingly vital in
:11:16. > :11:18.the years ahead. -- that is the warning from scientists.
:11:19. > :11:20.Of course, there's no guarantee flood prevention schemes will
:11:21. > :11:24.protect every home or business in areas at risk. But if the worst does
:11:25. > :11:27.happen, the emergency services are trained and equipped to come to the
:11:28. > :11:30.rescue. Cameron Buttle has been hearing from those who could find
:11:31. > :11:35.themselves on the flooding front line.
:11:36. > :11:40.This is a standard front line appliance, the first emergency
:11:41. > :11:45.response to any incident. Already on board, basic water rescue equipment.
:11:46. > :11:49.But if it is a serious flooding incident, this is the kind of thing
:11:50. > :11:54.the fire and rescue service can now deploy. Here to tell us a little bit
:11:55. > :12:01.more about it is David. What have we got here? This is the incident
:12:02. > :12:05.support unit, one of many places we have strategically placed throughout
:12:06. > :12:09.Scotland. It is a multipurpose vehicle. It carries a lot of
:12:10. > :12:15.flooding equipment. We have specialist trained personnel. They
:12:16. > :12:22.can deal with flooding prudently. The guys spend a lot of time
:12:23. > :12:33.training. Yes. It takes up a lot of our time, the main part of our time
:12:34. > :12:38.as a modern service. We train in flood and swift water rescue. If it
:12:39. > :12:42.becomes a really serious incident, they will deploy the high volume
:12:43. > :12:47.pump here. This does exactly what it says on the tin. It shifts huge
:12:48. > :12:54.volumes of water up to three kilometres away. All of this
:12:55. > :12:58.equipment and these firefighters are available 24/7 to be deployed
:12:59. > :13:00.anywhere across Scotland. The Scottish Environment Protection
:13:01. > :13:04.Agency website provides much more information about flood prevention.
:13:05. > :13:07.A huge amount of work is being done to keep floodwaters at bay but, as
:13:08. > :13:16.we all know, it's always a mistake to underestimate what the Scottish
:13:17. > :13:19.weather could throw at us. A group of homeowners in the village
:13:20. > :13:26.of playing fields in Stirlingshire have been left with girls of tens of
:13:27. > :13:30.thousands of pounds to decontaminate their land. Their homes were built
:13:31. > :13:35.on land polluted with dangerous chemicals and the law says it is
:13:36. > :13:39.their responsibility to clean it up. They are asking the UK Treasury to
:13:40. > :13:44.waive the landfill tax which makes up to two thirds of the bill. At the
:13:45. > :13:49.foot of the Campsie Fells lies this village. Fiona is one of 13
:13:50. > :13:57.homeowners who lives there who faces staggering bills to remove
:13:58. > :14:05.contamination from her garden. It is no fault of the owners and the
:14:06. > :14:11.owners are asked to pay ?633,000. I have, personally, a ?43,000 bill.
:14:12. > :14:15.Unknown to their owners when they bought them, 13 homes on this estate
:14:16. > :14:21.were built on contaminated land. The reason why, the Calico print works
:14:22. > :14:27.stood here in the 19th century, and now, over 100 years after it was
:14:28. > :14:31.demolished, refuse from it still contaminates some of the land. This
:14:32. > :14:35.only came to light a couple of years ago, when Stirling Council tested
:14:36. > :14:39.this so, and they found potentially dangerous levels of arsenic and
:14:40. > :14:44.lead, and they say that has got to be cleared up. The print works and
:14:45. > :14:48.the housing developers who build the homes in the 1960s no longer exist.
:14:49. > :14:55.The law states that whoever owns the land must pay for the clean-up. In
:14:56. > :15:01.this case, it is the home owners, ?633,000 between 13 of them. Two
:15:02. > :15:08.thirds of the bill 's landfill tax from the UK Treasury. Martin has
:15:09. > :15:15.taken the case to Westminster. The estimated bill for me is ?69,000. We
:15:16. > :15:21.have got as much as we could into the deposit for this house and now
:15:22. > :15:24.the house is worthless. In 2015 the Scottish Government will take
:15:25. > :15:31.control blank attacks. They have made a commitment to look at
:15:32. > :15:35.residents affected. The council has pledged ?125,000 towards the final
:15:36. > :15:43.bill but that still leaves the residents facing costs of tens of
:15:44. > :15:47.thousands of pounds. More on that story on the One Show straight after
:15:48. > :15:52.this programme. Now a round-up of other stories from
:15:53. > :15:55.across Scotland this Tuesday. There has been a furious reaction to plans
:15:56. > :15:59.by a Highland council to act two thirds of its local customer service
:16:00. > :16:04.points in a bid to save money. The authority says more people want to
:16:05. > :16:07.deal with issues like council tax online but critics say closing 23
:16:08. > :16:13.offices will hit vulnerable people in rural areas hardest. 78-year-old
:16:14. > :16:18.cyclist who died after being involved in a collision with a car
:16:19. > :16:24.in Edinburgh has been named. He died after his silver mountain bike was
:16:25. > :16:28.involved in the crash on a road to South Queensferry on Sunday morning.
:16:29. > :16:31.The Arches nightclub in Glasgow has raised its minimum age for admission
:16:32. > :16:39.to 21 after the drug-related death of a teenage girl. The 17-year-old
:16:40. > :16:42.hide in the city's Royal Infirmary after becoming sick at the club on
:16:43. > :16:49.Saturday the 1st of February. Police have linked her death to an ecstasy
:16:50. > :16:52.like tablet. The NHS in Scotland has been given an extra ?1.5 million to
:16:53. > :16:56.cope with a significant increase in the number of people who need
:16:57. > :17:04.cataract and joint surgery. The cash will fund more doctors and nurses.
:17:05. > :17:09.Patients from around Scotland will be referred to the hospital which as
:17:10. > :17:13.a key role in reducing waiting times. Closure has been announced
:17:14. > :17:17.that five animal Park. The visitor attraction which is home to a number
:17:18. > :17:23.of exotic animals was put on the market last year. The charity
:17:24. > :17:29.regulator blog the sale until it was made clear which assets were owned
:17:30. > :17:36.by the if animal trust charity. -- owned by the Fife animal trust
:17:37. > :17:41.charity. Super fast road and has been introduced in the town of
:17:42. > :17:48.Buckie. The figure will increase to more than five houses in the coming
:17:49. > :17:50.week. -- super fast Rathband. A week-long series of concerts is to
:17:51. > :17:57.be held to celebrate the works of Gerry Rafferty in his hometown of
:17:58. > :18:02.Paisley. The festival was named after a Rafferty is on and will
:18:03. > :18:12.feature makes your stop it runs from the 11th to the 19th of if. -- it
:18:13. > :18:15.will feature Midge Ure full of According to charities, there are
:18:16. > :18:19.about 650,000 unpaid carers across Scotland and that figure is expected
:18:20. > :18:22.to reach one million over the next 20 years.
:18:23. > :18:25.This week we will be looking at how they cope and what challenges they
:18:26. > :18:28.face caring for their loved ones. In the first of three films, Ian
:18:29. > :18:30.Hamilton has been meeting older carers.
:18:31. > :18:35.Alec and his wife give for their daughter, is in her 40s, and has a
:18:36. > :18:39.learning disability. Neither of them elected to fill the caring for their
:18:40. > :18:44.daughter into retirement full of but that is exactly what they are
:18:45. > :18:52.doing. Jennifer is then send them the sheet is 45, 46 this year full
:18:53. > :18:56.of -- Jennifer is bound in them. The love hearing for Jennifer because
:18:57. > :19:03.they are both and healthy. What the year is the church and what that
:19:04. > :19:10.might bring the -- Down's Syndrome full who will look after Jennifer
:19:11. > :19:16.when we are not here to mark? Or if we are physically unable to look
:19:17. > :19:23.after our. Look after her full of it is the tactical about how you can
:19:24. > :19:28.fit England place. There are 13 point five thousand older carers and
:19:29. > :19:32.full of the art looking after family members with dementia and other
:19:33. > :19:36.disabilities. According to disability organisations, it is
:19:37. > :19:42.about heading of the crisis before it occurs. That requires a
:19:43. > :19:45.partnership between families of health and social services full.
:19:46. > :19:54.Something that doesn't always happen. Social authorities will
:19:55. > :19:59.probably love to shift to early intervention. However, I think in
:20:00. > :20:04.the days of cuts and therapy measures, it is very difficult for
:20:05. > :20:09.them to do so. They have a plan together to secure Jennifer's
:20:10. > :20:19.future. They are also working with other theatres to do the same. --
:20:20. > :20:25.with other hearers. Thing for the sports news.
:20:26. > :20:28.Docklands have made three for this weekend's Six Nations match away to
:20:29. > :20:31.Italy. Scott Lawson and Richie Gray come in for Ross Ford and Tim
:20:32. > :20:36.Swinson respectively, whilst David Denton is replaced by Johnnie
:20:37. > :20:39.Beattie. There's been some stinging criticism of late aimed at
:20:40. > :20:41.Murrayfield but is it getting to Scotland's interim head coach?
:20:42. > :20:47.Here's our rugby reporter, Phil Goodlad.
:20:48. > :20:56.Scott Johnson dispensed with the usual interviews today and says a
:20:57. > :21:06.press conference full of not be only unusual aspects to foresee things.
:21:07. > :21:14.It seems surprising given that for 55 minutes he was one of the best
:21:15. > :21:19.players. And you sat and watched it all? Probably not as many camera
:21:20. > :21:28.angles as you have. I wondered if many people might be surprised he
:21:29. > :21:32.has been dropped. We are just trying to get a balance to it, and
:21:33. > :21:37.acknowledging what he needs to improve on, too. To get out
:21:38. > :21:44.different balance in the team. Everyone is a bit edgy. They are
:21:45. > :21:53.coming towards us. What was the pressure. The people that know you
:21:54. > :21:59.the less judge you the most. I am happy with who I am. I am not
:22:00. > :22:03.changing, and I don't really care. I am pretty comfortable in my own
:22:04. > :22:07.skin. So it was a different Scott Johnson at Murrayfield today,
:22:08. > :22:12.reacted, perhaps, to the stinging criticism of late. He now needs his
:22:13. > :22:16.players to do likewise in Rome this weekend.
:22:17. > :22:20.The Winter Olympics and Great Britain's men's curlers have made it
:22:21. > :22:26.through to the finals at scratchy. They beat Norway 6-5 in a thrilling
:22:27. > :22:30.conclusion to their tie-breaker match. And it took a moment of
:22:31. > :22:37.brilliance from the skip to win the day. A must- make shop.
:22:38. > :22:40.Cannot afford to miss this... We had our chances of sealing the extra end
:22:41. > :22:49.up we thought they would be pretty low. It was scary. We are not scared
:22:50. > :22:57.of going for these shots to win games. It had to be absolutely
:22:58. > :23:01.perfect. COMMENTATOR: He has done it! A brilliant shot! Great Britain
:23:02. > :23:08.skipped with the very last stone, running from behind against Norway
:23:09. > :23:19.to seal their place in the final. In terms of the shots of your career
:23:20. > :23:25.how does that rank? It is one of those in shots. A really dramatic
:23:26. > :23:28.end to that match and that incredible last owned by David
:23:29. > :23:32.Murdoch sets up a semifinal tomorrow against Sweden. If they win that
:23:33. > :23:39.match, they are guaranteed a silver medal. But Sweden are the world
:23:40. > :23:42.champions. We have a lot of confidence. If we play like that, it
:23:43. > :23:46.is good enough to beat any team this week. If we come out playing like
:23:47. > :23:51.that tomorrow, we have a really good chance. And another shot or two like
:23:52. > :24:02.this wouldn't harm their chances either. Yes! Great scenes. Here is
:24:03. > :24:07.more news from the Winter Olympics plus a look at what is happening in
:24:08. > :24:13.Scottish sport. Elise Christie admits she questioned whether she
:24:14. > :24:17.could compete again in Sochi after the disappointment she suffered. But
:24:18. > :24:23.she took to the ace in the short track 1000 metres and one her feet
:24:24. > :24:33.with ease. I will try my best. Today everyone proud. -- she won her heat
:24:34. > :24:41.with ease. I was a bit worried. But now I am across the line, I looked
:24:42. > :24:45.down as I crossed the line. A player is to leave Glasgow Warriors after
:24:46. > :24:51.five years with the club. He has signed a two-year contract with an
:24:52. > :24:56.English side. Five Scots have been named in the GB and Northern Ireland
:24:57. > :25:06.team for next year's -- next month's Championships in Poland. He is part
:25:07. > :25:08.of the 35 strong squad. There is a Scottish Cup replay tonight at
:25:09. > :25:14.Inverness Caley Thistle face League One club Stranraer. This a glider
:25:15. > :25:17.for the premiership side setup tonight's replay. Dundee United
:25:18. > :25:25.await the winners in the quarterfinals. Radio Scotland has
:25:26. > :25:35.the cup tie covered. Tune in for all the build-up. There is online
:25:36. > :25:39.coverage as well. Came for the weather.
:25:40. > :25:45.Hello. Good evening. The weather is fairly bland. I wouldn't be too
:25:46. > :25:49.disappointed if you switched off because there is not a lot going on.
:25:50. > :25:54.It is murky and misty, damp, low pressure in charge but it has not
:25:55. > :25:58.got much strength to it. It is not going anywhere fast. It is hanging
:25:59. > :26:02.around. Tonight, like last night, cloudy, damp, misty and murky at
:26:03. > :26:06.times. The rain will come and go but there will be some clearer skies
:26:07. > :26:08.like there were earlier today across Orkney and Shetland and drifting
:26:09. > :26:14.into powers of Caithness. Somewhat cooler here, a touch of frost. The
:26:15. > :26:20.cloud is acting like a blanket. Tomorrow morning will be reasonably
:26:21. > :26:23.dry and cloudy, a bit misty and murky once again but on the whole
:26:24. > :26:27.tomorrow a lot of dry weather around. There will be some light and
:26:28. > :26:30.patchy outbreaks of rain, certainly across central parts of the country.
:26:31. > :26:36.Maybe towards parts of the Borders as well. In places, the mist and fog
:26:37. > :26:40.did linger in the afternoon. Temperatures are on the mild side, a
:26:41. > :26:43.turning Celsius, but where the mist and fog lingers it will be cooler.
:26:44. > :26:47.Some brighter sky to the north of any high ground, into the Moray
:26:48. > :26:51.Firth and into the far north of the mainland. Orkney and Shetland is
:26:52. > :26:57.seeing some sunshine, but rain is coming your way. Here is why.
:26:58. > :27:00.Tomorrow night, a weather front approaches from the West and that
:27:01. > :27:03.will introduce some rain and strengthening wind and some thicker
:27:04. > :27:07.cloud. That makes us way across the country as we had overnight
:27:08. > :27:10.Wednesday into Thursday. By Thursday morning, you will probably wake up
:27:11. > :27:14.to a rather wet and indeed breezy start to the day. It does improve.
:27:15. > :27:17.As we head through the morning towards afternoon, the rain works as
:27:18. > :27:22.we ever eastward, the winds being more westerly but the rain lingers
:27:23. > :27:26.for the Northern Isles. Behind it is a showery story, some brighter skies
:27:27. > :27:29.in between and some wintry showers on their health. Friday once again,
:27:30. > :27:36.the showers with us in the West and further east is drier and brighter.
:27:37. > :27:38.We could see some hail mixed in as well.
:27:39. > :27:42.We could see some hail mixed I was just about to say it was worth
:27:43. > :27:45.waiting for. Now, a reminder of tonight's main
:27:46. > :27:48.news. The Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has hit back at the
:27:49. > :27:51.European Commission President's claim that it would be "extremely
:27:52. > :27:53.difficult" for an independent Scotland to secure full membership
:27:54. > :27:57.of the European Union. Speaking at Holyrood, she said it would be an
:27:58. > :28:01."absolute affront to democracy" for Scotland to be denied membership.
:28:02. > :28:04.For the first time in four years, the rate of inflation has dropped
:28:05. > :28:10.below the Bank of England target of 2%. Latest figures show inflation
:28:11. > :28:14.fell to 1.9% in January. Economists say it could ease the pressure on
:28:15. > :28:17.family budgets. And that's Reporting Scotland. We'll
:28:18. > :28:20.be back with the headlines at eight, and the late bulletin just after the
:28:21. > :28:23.ten o'clock news. Until then, from everyone on the team, across the
:28:24. > :28:28.country, have a very good evening.