| Good morning, Welcome to a new working week. How was your weekend? At the end of last week, we launched our new interactive puzzle pages for digital subscribers. Here's a wee teaser from today's quick crosswords: Liberated (nine letters).
For unlimited access to all our news stories, puzzle pages and more, subscribe today for as little as £3 a month. Scottish Government urged to agree coronavirus 'ceasefire' on Christmas Day The Bishop of Paisley has called for an easing of restrictions on Christmas Day amid warnings of a “digital Christmas”. Earlier this week, national clinical director Professor Jason Leitch said large family gatherings were unlikely to be held on the holiday due to the prevalence of coronavirus in Scotland. John Keenan, who also serves as the vice president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said strict restrictions on Christmas gatherings run “the risk of destroying all hope”. Boots to launch 12-minute Covid test Boots is set to unveil a new Covid-19 testing service – and the pharmacy chain claims they can return results from swab tests in just 12 minutes. The service is available as a private pre-flight test for customers who require one before travelling abroad, or as a solution for those who would prefer peace of mind before seeing friends and family. ‘They went absolutely mad for it’ A Scottish poet said she feels touched by overwhelming response to a poem she wrote in Scots in a bid to keep the minority language alive. Len Pennie, often referred to as Pennie, filmed herself reciting her poem ‘I’m no havin’ children’, which is half-written in Scots, and posted it on Twitter before turning off her phone and going to bed. It's brilliant. If you've not heard it already, then check it out here. Why Nicola Sturgeon's popularity grows with Covid home truths "Shooting the messenger has become a national sport - or so some papers would have us believe." In our opinion section today, Lesley Riddoch argues that Nicola Sturgeon's popularity only grows with Covid "home truths" Do you agree with her? Have your say in the comment section of the article here. More headlines below. Stay safe, Sam Shedden | 