Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere.
Today
- Scotland heads to the polls
- Democrats stage sit-in at Congress over gun control
- Pupils favouring work over further study
- A revamped Kelvin Hall: Scotland’s Tate Modern?
06.00 BBC Today headlines
Voters head for the polls … Democrat sit-in … Demand for abortions in Latin America doubles in response to Zika virus … Colombia peace ceremony … LGBT people still reluctant to speak out on sexuality … Conservationists launch bid to stage mountain chicken frog .. Republic of Ireland through to knockout stage of Euro 2016.
07.00 BBC Good Morning Scotland headlines
Polls open ... Rail strike ... US Congress sit-in ... Zika/abortions ... Colombia ... Melissa Reid home from Peru ... Scots distillery produces first brandy.
Front pages
The Herald says the 10-20% of voters who say they are still undecided could be the deciding factor. The Mail agrees that Scotland could hold the key.
The National declares: “Make Scotland’s voice heard: We’re not leaving.”
The Evening Times pictures a Glasgow resident who says council cuts have left gardens like “jungles”.
The Times and Scotsman reckon the result is on a knife edge.
Elsewhere: the Mail reports Glasgow and Aberdeen airports could be hit by strikes this summer over pensions.
The Record says convicted drugs mule Melissa Reid was given the “red carpet” treatment on arriving back in Scotland from Peru. Reporter Annie Brown says Reid flew business class and was given a personal escort through a side door of Glasgow Airport to avoid the public.
Camley’s Cartoon
Camley pops the question. Are you an "I do" or an "I don't"?
Five in five seconds: the final countdown
1. 1975 on Europe, 2011 on voting reform, 2016 on Europe again - the UK holds just the third UK-wide referendum in its history today.
2. The country is divided into 11 regions plus Northern Ireland, with more than 44 million people eligible to vote (House of Commons Library) in 382 counting areas.
3. Don't expect an exit poll. The first thing we will know is the turnout - crucial if the contest is tight. Scotland should start to produce results from 2am. Follow the results through the night with The Herald’s live blog at www.heraldscotland.com
4. In Scotland, the regional HQ is Falkirk. As elsewhere, local counts will be fed to the regional officers, who in turn will announced the results once known. Timing depends on how many voters there are - Highland Council, for example, has 170,000 eligible voters, Birmingham has almost 700,000, but the Highlands vote is spread over a bigger area. This is only the third UK wide referendum.
5. The national count HQ is Manchester Town Hall, from where the final result will be declared by 7am.
Afore Ye Go
... Stay up and watch the whole thing overnight with us. Free custard creams and tea served #euref pic.twitter.com/dDD9gdKHeP
— emily m (@maitlis) June 22, 2016
Typical BBC, splashing the licence payers' cash ...
"By sitting in and sitting down, we're standing up.”
Democrat John Lewis leads fellow party members in a sit-in at the House of Representatives in Washington DC to demand tighter gun controls. Outside the House, protesters showed their support through the night.
“A nice wee woman. Really polite and lovely. She got a loyalty card and she promised she's coming back.”
Bonnie Burton, a member of staff at the Social Bite in Edinburgh, was impressed when the Duchess of Rothesay (above, at Royal Ascot) dropped in. The sandwich shop has already been host to George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio will visit later this year.
"Yorkshire Rose"
The words on the bow of a small boat, full of flowers, which was towed to a memorial event in London to mark the life and work of the late Yorkshire MP Jo Cox. Yesterday would have been her 42nd birthday.
“We've seen a massive collectivisation that we haven't seen in years, since the late 1980s. Back then we had to become invisible, it was incredibly crushing. Orlando has brought this activism back to the surface.”
Gay rights campaigner Tim Sigsworth, chief executive of the Albert Kennedy Trust, on the galvanising effect of the Orlando shootings. Mr Sigsworth was speaking at Buckingham Palace, where he was awarded an MBE for services to the LGBT community. Pride marches take place this weekend.
...meanwhile in France, Cristiano was asked what he thought of Messi's record-breaking free kick.#EURO2016 #CA2016 pic.twitter.com/tluIQxTQil
— Chef (@champ_ian) June 22, 2016
Will some politicians fancy doing the same as Ronaldo this time tomorrow?
“It’s good to be home.”
US vice-president Joe Biden on arriving in Ireland on a visit to trace his ancestry. Mr Biden's great-great-great-grandfather Edward Blewitt and great-great-grandfather Owen Finnegan both emigrated during the famine.
£9300 a year
The average amount to be spent by UK households on international travel by 2025, up from £6500 last year, according to research by Visa and Oxford Economics. By 2025, China is predicted to have the highest level of household spending on international travel in 2025, reaching £167.1 billion.
That's been a lot of fun guys. Join me next time on "All Scottish lesbians look the same" where I'll be joined by Rhona Cameron
— Susan Calman (@SusanCalman) June 21, 2016
Scots comedian Susan Calman (below) spent Tuesday night responding to tweets about how brilliant she was being on the BBC debate from Wembley. Tweeters had mistaken her for Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson. She has previously been mistaken for Nicola Sturgeon and Kezia Dugdale.
"Something like Wolf Hall would never have been made by anybody else.”
Producer Sir Colin Callender, at Buckingham Palace to receive a knighthood for services to the creative industries, praises the BBC.
The Daily Record says so, so it's true. pic.twitter.com/LSZprTxwW5
— David Torrance (@davidtorrance) June 22, 2016
Do you recognise this man?
"My health and my family's health comes before anything else.”
Golfer Rory McIlroy pulls out of this summer's Olympic Games in Rio due to fears over the Zika virus.
“Donald Trump fired his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski. Trump said Lewandowski was controversial, impulsive and short-tempered — and will make a great running mate.”
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
I have never been at a photo op outside Holyrood where a dog didn't leap in the ponds and steal the show pic.twitter.com/PjGSCh5FuG
— Philip Sim (@BBCPhilipSim) June 22, 2016
Thank you for reading. See you tomorrow
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