Here are the stories making the headlines locally and across the country this morning.

Jason Leitch to step down as national clinical director

Jason Leitch will leave his role as Scotland's national clinical director at the end of April.

Prof Leitch, who helped lead the country's response to the Covid pandemic, will also leave his post at NHS Tayside.

He said it had been an "enormous privilege" to carry out his role.

Prof Leitch was recently questioned about the deletion of WhatsApp messages from the pandemic.

He had described it as a "pre-bed ritual" in a comment shown at the inquiry.

UK economic growth picks up in January

The UK economy picked up in January, boosted by stronger sales in shops and online and more construction activity.

The economy grew by 0.2%, official figures show, following a fall in output during the previous month.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the services sector led the bounce back, after retailers struggled to draw in shoppers in December.

This is an early estimate, but signals how the UK, which entered recession at the end of 2023, is faring.

Stonehaven Orange walk: Final decision to be made on Friday as court to hear appeal

The decision on whether an Orange walk will go ahead in Stonehaven this weekend will be made on Friday.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court is set to hear an appeal from the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland after Kincardine and Mearns area committee councillors unanimously rejected plans for a parade on Saturday March 16.

They cited concerns over undue strain on the police force, the impact on local businesses and the “anxiety” felt by the community over the proposed march.

Representatives for the Orange Order said they were “disappointed but not surprised” by the decision.

If overturned, the controversial march will take place the next day.

Sub-postmasters to have convictions quashed as new bill set to be introduced

A law aimed at quashing the wrongful convictions of sub-postmasters caught up in the Horizon IT scandal is being introduced by the government later.

The proposed Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill "marks an important step forward in finally clearing" the names of hundreds of wronged branch managers who have had their lives "callously torn apart", Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.

The legislation will exonerate those convicted in England and Wales on the basis of the faulty Horizon accounting software in what has been branded the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history.

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