| Good morning, Welcome to Friday's newsletter for The Scotsman. Before we begin, if you value what we do consider supporting our journalism with a digital subscription. Until February 14 we're offering 20 per cent off subscriptions. Get unlimited access thousands of Scottish articles a month, 70 per cent fewer ads, special offers and much more. Try us out today from just £3 a month. 'We don't see much light at the end of the tunnel' Covid-19 cases around Scotland have begun to reduce in recent weeks, with test positivity rates dropping below 5 per cent – the World Health Organisation’s definition of a pandemic “under control”. But this has not been true of all areas of Scotland. While the drop in cases is beginning to translate to a drop in hospital patients, intensive care units around the country are still battling an influx of cases, in some areas more than others. “At the moment we’re not really seeing much light at the end of the tunnel and certainly the last few weeks seem to have got busier for us here," one nurse at a Scottish ICU unit struggling to cope tells us. Take a journey inside the hospital and find out what it is like for the brave and tireless NHS staff battling to control the virus even as vaccines are rolled out. Magazine wins legal case that could allow Alex Salmond inquiry to publish crucial evidence A legal challenge brought by The Spectator magazine to clarify the scope of a court order from Alex Salmond’s criminal trial has been partially successful, leading to the potential for crucial evidence to be published by Holyrood's harassment complaints committee. It could lead to the publication of crucial evidence from Mr Salmond and his former chief of staff Geoff Aberdein by the ongoing parliamentary inquiry into the Salmond affair. Conor Matchett breaks down what this may mean for the Scottish Government and Mr Salmond. UK economy suffers biggest slump on record... but avoids double-dip recession The UK’s economy shrunk faster than at any point in 100 years in 2020 as coronavirus restrictions hit output. However, modest growth in December means that the economy looks set to avoid what could have been its first double-dip recession since the 1970s. The slump marks the worst year for the UK economy since records began. And finally... These snowmen have excellent taste. The pair were spotted reading The Scotsman in Dunblane as temperatures hit record lows. Local resident, Jacqueline Malley’s creations took social media by storm as she made a cosy scene showing a snowman and his wife. Thanks for reading, more headlines below, Sam Shedden | 
