Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is facing her regular questions session - watch it live and follow text commentary and reaction on this special live page. 

The Daily Politics

Some may think senior politicians resemble rookie stand-up comedians at a pub open-mic night, even if the party faithful lap it up during the conferences.

Here is a reminder of how party leaders thought they may, or may not, have a future career in comedy when their time on the political stage is over.

Andrew Neil will be looking at political comedy with his guest of the day, Matt Forde, on Thursday's Daily Politics, on air from 12:00 to 13:00 on BBC2. Viewers in Scotland join the programme at 12:30 after FMQs. 

The BBC understands that a number of parties have raised the issue of tax credits in the Stormont negotiations. It is estimated that 120,000 families in Northern Ireland will see their incomes reduced as a result of the cuts to working tax credit and child tax credit announced by the Chancellor George Osborne back in July.

Some local politicians argue that the loss of local spending power caused by the tax credit changes is more than double that entailed by previous welfare reforms. In addition, the politicians are looking for a guarantee that if they agree a package of welfare reform flexibilities any payments made from the block grant should be exempt from taxation.

Read more.

Image source, PA

The DUP's Simon Hamilton has defended his colleague Edwin Poots after he said party members have to hold their noses when doing business with Sinn Fein.

Mr Poots made the comments on the BBC 's Nolan Live on Wednesday night, saying: "I do not like doing business with Sinn Fein. [I] hold my nose about what has went on in the past, about the activities of the IRA over 25 years, of the murders that took place and there's a stench that still rises from that in many homes across Northern Ireland."

Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey said said the comments had shown Mr Poots in his "true colours" but Mr Hamilton said he "understood entirely" what Mr his colleague meant.

A protester at the London premiere of the Suffragette film tells Newsbeat why she stormed the red carpet.

The Daily Politics

The Queen's Privy Council meets for the first time on Thursday since Jeremy Corbyn was elected Labour leader. 

He will not be attending as his team said he had prior commitments, but will still be appointed a member, and will need to take the Oath at a later meeting. 

BBC Parliament's Daniel Brittain met Anthony Rowland from Henry Poole and Co in London's Savile Row, which makes the traditional Privy Council dress. 

In this Daily Politics film, he looks at who is on the body, its range of powers, and whether it is as secret and exclusive as some may believe. (Video to follow in next post)

Jeremy Corbyn's spokesman tells the BBC's Iain Watson:

Former Labour deputy leader Roy Hattersley was one of the party's critics of the Privy Council, according a 2003 BBC News online article..

He has written: "At worst the Privy Council is neither an instrument of baronial tyranny nor the last bastion of monarchist power." But that view has not stopped him calling for the council to be scrapped, saying it is part of a deferential society.

The Daily Mail

"Labour leader accused of snubbing monarch after saying he's too busy to attend Privy Council ceremony today," says the Mail, external.

However, the Mail also quotes Mr Corbyn's spokesman saying: "He is going to be offered an invitation on another day."

Daily Mirror

The Mirror, external looks back at David Cameron's speech to the Conservative conference yesterday. "David Cameron grins as he plunges 600,000 more people into poverty," its headline reads.

The Sun

The Daily Telegraph

Here's more on how some of the papers are viewing the day's developments.

"Jeremy Corbyn snubs the Queen - too busy to join Privy Council," is the Telegraph's, external view of the Labour leader missing a meeting of the body due to "prior commitments". The paper says the "Labour leader could use loophole to avoid being sworn in by Her Majesty, becoming the first leader of the opposition to do so".

The Guardian

"Jeremy Corbyn has turned down the chance to be made a member of the privy council in person by the Queen, with his office saying that private engagements made such a ceremony impossible," writes the Guardian, external.

Former Conservative MP Louise Mensch has called for Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Peter Fahy to resign over his handling of anti-austerity protests outside the Conservative conference, reports the Manchester Evening News. The paper says the former MP took to Twitter to criticise the local police leadership for "made thugs be right next to delegates".

The article adds: "A GMP spokeswoman said no formal complaint has been made about the operation during the conference."

Victoria Derbyshire

Mohammed Isreb, a Syrian now living in the UK, disagrees with Lord Dannatt's view that the so-called Islamic State is a bigger threat than the Assad regime.

"Syrians are suffering the most from the Assad regime," he tells the Victoria Derbyshire programme, arguing that the regime is in effect "the main recruiter" for Islamic State.

Victoria Derbyshire

Lord Dannatt, a former chief of the general staff, tells the Victoria Derbyshire programme that "we need to have a political and diplomatic dialogue with the Russians to achieve common objectives" in Syria.

If that means Assad staying in power for longer, it is a price worth paying, he insists.