Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere. 

Front pages

The Herald:

In The Herald, political editor Tom Gordon reports on Holyrood plans to pilot a low emission zone next year, which could cost heavy polluting lorries, buses and 4X4s £100-£200. 

“All-out war on Scots drivers” is the Mail’s take on the story, with he Express declaring “New SNP war on motorists”.  

The FT reports on how the congestion charge is operating in London, where assembly members are urging the mayor to replace it with a pay-per-mile scheme to reduce delays. 

The Herald: Exclusive: Vivienne Nicoll in the Evening Times reports on disruption ahead due to work on Glasgow’s new Fastlink bus route. 

The Guardian reports LibDem leader Tim Farron ruling out any electoral pact with Labour because of what he says is the party’s failure to stand up to Theresa May’s Brexit stance. 

The Times says protesters are massing ahead of Trump’s presidency (see Five in Five Seconds, below). 

The Telegraph reports Prince Charles’s description of climate change, contained in the foreword to a new Ladybird book, as the “wolf at the door”

Camley’s cartoon

The Herald:

Camley finds Donald Trump’s inauguration being given the empty chair treatment. 

FFS: Five in five seconds

What’s the story? As 44 becomes 45, many will raise their voices in protest. 

Meaning? Obama (44th President of the US) is out, Trump is in, and to mark that event protests will take place in countries around the world, including Scotland. 

Details? There are various protests to choose from. “Bridges Not Walls” campaigners will drop banners from bridges across the UK in support of “a peaceful and just world rid of oppression and hatred”.  Locations include the Snuff Mill Bridge in Old Cathcart, the North Bridge in Edinburgh, and the Wellington Suspension Bridge in Aberdeen. Stand Up to Racism is planning to demonstrate in Edinburgh and Glasgow. CND will hold a rally outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London from 5-8pm to coincide with the inauguration, and there will be a march through Edinburgh, starting at 5.30pm at Waverley Gate and ending at the US Consulate.

All quiet stateside? Hardly. There were protests last night outside Trump Tower in New York (Alec Baldwin did his Saturday Night Live Trump) and in DC. A record 30 protest permits have been granted for DC today, and some estimates reckon that a quarter of the expected crowd of one million could be there to protest. Perhaps the biggest demo will take place tomorrow, with the Women’s March on Washington DC, where protesters will sport knitted pink “pussyhats”, complete with ears. 

The Herald:

And on Trump’s side? Bikers for Trump have promised to lend a hand to the 28,000 security officers on duty. “We're going to be backing up law enforcement. We're on the same page,” one biker, a 63-year-old from Pennsylvania told Reuters. There are no celebrations planned on Lewis, birthplace of his mother, or at his two Scottish golf resorts. Read David Ross's story here. 

Afore Ye Go

The Herald:

"It certainly woke something up there in Scotland. I know they achieved partial autonomy for that and I think it was a good thing."

Mel Gibson on the impact Braveheart had on devolution. The 61-year-old did not reveal whether he backed Scottish independence, saying he did not comment on the politics of other countries. Gibson's new film, Hacksaw Ridge, is out next week. Press Association

The Herald:

“We have no freakin’ idea what he is going to do.”

Outgoing vice-president Joe Biden on Donald Trump. New York Times.  Bill Pugliano/Getty Images.

The song? My Way.

The Herald:

“Donald Trump said after he’s sworn into office on Friday, he’s going to take the weekend off. Unless, of course, he has to deal with a national emergency or a ‘Saturday Night Live’ sketch. It could go either way.”

Conan O’Brien. Above, the stage is set for today’s inauguration. Mario Tama/Getty Images

The glamour of it all. Thanks to ITV's Mary Nightingale

The Herald:

"I can't say it wasn't as bad as I thought because it was as bad as I thought. I've learnt exactly what womankind across Scotland go through and my respect for them has quadrupled.”

Scottish Conservative Lothian MSP Miles Briggs raised more than £2,000 for the Children's Hospice Association Scotland (Chas) at Holyrood yesterday by having his legs waxed. On hand, having a rerr terr tearing off the waxing strips were party leader Ruth Davidson and Deputy Presiding Officer Christine Grahame. Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

The Herald:

46%

The proportion of people who felt "disgust" about those who voted the opposite way to them in the EU referendum, according to a research by the LSE. Leon Neal/Getty Images

The Herald:

A model of Mother Teresa, a make-your-own doll kit, a straw model of a man and woman dancing, watches, a totem pole …

What no cuddly toy? A conveyor belt of gifts came the royals way last year, set out in a list of official presents published yesterday. Among the gifts for the Queen’s 90th was a Nebuchadnezzar, which can hold 20 normal bottles of Champagne, from the Executive Guild of Toastmasters. PA

Below, SNP John Nicolson publicises his latest TV appearance, but fellow MP Stewart McDonald appears to be reaching peak Nicolson:

The Herald:

“I would like to thank Seumas for his brilliant Guardian journalism, and we hope he’ll write for us again in the future.”

Guardian editor Katherine Viner tells staff that Milne, given secondment from the paper to work as press secretary to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, will now work for the party permanently. Jack Taylor/Gerry Images

Twitter was of course delighted for Milne:

Thanks for reading. See you Monday. Twitter: @alisonmrowat