Welcome to The Press and Journal’s morning politics briefing — everything you need to know about politics in your region and across the country, before you start your day.
New this morning
Nicola Sturgeon and Green party leaders were trying to close a deal over-night on a partnership for working together in the Scottish Government.
Details were being finalised with both groups signalling Friday would be a deadline on whether it could be done or not.
Airport bosses say “Scotland is working with a pen and paper” when it comes to providing proof of Covid-19 vaccination.
Travellers from Scotland currently only get paper confirmation of their vaccination status, while England and Wales have a digital NHS app.
In case you missed it
Group head of politics David Mac Dougall reflects on his time reporting from Kabul, during more settled times.
“The grand villa in Kabul’s Wazir Akbar Khan neighbourhood where we lived and worked felt relatively safe. You could walk to the bakery for bread in the mornings, or go for dinner and drinks at night without security: an excellent Lebanese restaurant, and a French-style cafe in the city were two of my favourite spots.
“In 2014 that Lebanese restaurant in our neighbourhood was attacked by a suicide bomber and 21 people were killed. And that French cafe, with its courtyard garden tables seemingly safe behind steel doors with armed guards, was targeted with a car bomb killing two people.
“That’s a sobering reality check.”