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The first minister says the government is firmly committed to equal access to higher education.

The latest UCAS data shows the number of Scots getting a place at university is at a record high, as is the number of those from deprived areas, she says.

Ms Smith welcomes these statistics, but she also expresses concerns about the shortage of graduates in key sectors - such as GPs, nurses, midwives and digital skills.

Scots domiciled pupils are being turned away because of capping, the Tory MSP argues.

The first minister says universities are not subject to competition from the rest of the UK or international students.

The number of Scottish domiciled students has increased she adds, including for teaching, nursing and medicine.

Jamie McIvor
BBC Scotland education correspondent

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When a candidate with excellent exam results fails to get the place at university they had hoped for, the sense of disappointment - even grievance or anger - can be real.

Newspapers have revealed correspondence to the government from parents who were angry their youngsters did not get in to the university of their choice.

So why might an impressive candidate with straight As fail to get a place?

The answers are complicated. But, first of all, a simple urban myth needs debunked.

No Scottish student is ever denied a university place simply in order to give a place to a fee-paying student from overseas. End of. To suggest otherwise is at best disingenuous - at worst a simple lie.

Read more here.

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Tory MSP Liz Smith asks about action to ensure that student access to Scotland's universities is based on the principles of equity and excellence.

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The first minister repeats her previous answers to Patrick Harvie about her recent trip to Poland to participate in the global climate change conference.

Ms Martin asks what pressure the Scottish government is bringing to bear on the UK government on this issue.

Ms Sturgeon says the climate change secretary has written repeatedly to the UK government calling on it to match the ambition of the Scottish government.

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Representatives from nearly 200 countries are gathering in Poland for talks on climate change - aimed at breathing new life into the Paris Agreement.

The UN has warned the 2015 Paris accord's goal of limiting global warming to "well below 2C above pre-industrial levels" is in danger because major economies, including the US and the EU, are falling short of their pledges.

But scientists at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - the leading international body on global warming - last month argued the 2C Paris pledge didn't go far enough. The global average temperature rise actually needed to be kept below 1.5C, they said.

So how warm has the world got and what can we do about it?

Read more here.

SNP MSP Gillian Martin asks how Scotland is working with the international community to tackle climate change.

The controversial new benefits system - universal credit - has completed its rollout for new claimants across Scotland.

Three job centres in Glasgow's Castlemilk, Drumchapel and Shettleston are the last to introduce the benefit.

It means all new claimants will now be placed on universal credit.

The benefit has been criticised by charities and campaigners over reports of long delays in payments and its link to rent arrears and food bank use.

Read more here.

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Labour MSP James Kelly raises reports about the real living wage not being offered at Prestwick Airport, which is owned by the Scottish government.

The first minister insists the Scottish government respects and supports the real living wage and says she understands Prestwick Airport is working towards paying it.

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SNP MSP Bruce Crawford then points to the Universal Credit delays meaning Scots having to wait until January to receive their payments.

The first minister says it is "utterly disgraceful" that a family applying this week for UC will have to wait five weeks, until after Christmas, to get a payment.

"How the Tories sleep at night is beyond me," she says.

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Mr Rennie warns the first minister against "trying to ride both horses" and insists every kind of Brexit will damage the economy.

The Scottish Lib Dem leader says he is frustrated to have to keep raising this with the first minister.

He pleads with Ms Sturgeon to reject every kind of Brexit.

The first minister says she does reject every kind of Brexit, and agrees with Mr Rennie that the prospect of stopping Brexit has improved.

However she has to try to protect Scotland's best interests regardless of the circumstances, insists Ms Sturgeon.

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The Scottish Parliament has voted by 92 to 29 to formally reject the UK government's draft Brexit deal.

SNP, Labour, Green and Lib Dem members at Holyrood backed a motion rejecting the proposals, as well as the prospect of leaving without any deal.

However, the parties have not come to a consensus on an alternative plan.

The vote was held as MPs at Westminster continued to debate whether to accept the withdrawal plan agreed between UK and EU negotiators.

In November, MSPs also voted to express their "unequivocal support" for a referendum on the final terms of Brexit.

Read more here.

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Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie says he was pleased that four parties put their differences aside yesterday at Holyrood to oppose Brexit.

Mr Rennie reiterates his desire for a "People's Vote" and says he has never been more confident that Brexit can be stopped.

He calls for the first minister to confirm that she does not back the backstop arrangements for Northern Ireland being extended to Scotland, which he says the SNP's Westminster's leader, Ian Blackford, called for last night.

The first minister says her preference remains to stay in the EU, but failing that staying in the Customs Union and the Single Market is the next best choice.

She says if the Irish backstop is activated, then it would leave Scotland at a competitive disadvantage to Northern Ireland.

The naturalist Sir David Attenborough has said climate change is humanity's greatest threat in thousands of years.

The broadcaster said it could lead to the collapse of civilisations and the extinction of "much of the natural world".

He was speaking at the opening ceremony of United Nations-sponsored climate talks in Katowice, Poland.

The meeting is the most critical on climate change since the 2015 Paris agreement.

Read more.

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Mr Harvie cites David Attenborough's call for the dots to be joined between the warnings and the action required, as "we are not yet close to where we need to be".

The Scottish Green Party co-convener calls for the fossil fuel age to be allowed to die, and says the Scottish government still hands tens of millions of pounds to the oil and gas industry.

He again calls for a "Climate Emergency Bill".

The first minister says she shares Mr Harvie's passion on this issue, but explains there is a duty to have credible plans to be in place to meet climate change targets.

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Environmental groups say a meeting of the world's leading climate scientists should prompt the Scottish government to up its ambitions.

Experts gathering in South Korea are set to urge governments to go "further and faster" to halt global warming.

Scottish ministers stopped short of seeing a date to become fully carbon-neutral when the Climate Change Bill was published in the summer.

The government insists its plans are already ambitious but has sought further independent advice on the matter.

Read more here.

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Scottish Green Party co-convener Patrick Harvie says he is pleased the first minister went to Poland for the recent global climate change conference.

Mr Harvie accepts Scotland has made a decent start on climate change, but being ahead of a "complacent pack" is not enough, he says.

He points out the forthcoming Climate Change Bill has no set date for net carbon emissions and he calls for the bill to be upgraded to emergency legislation.

He calls for a "real climate change emergency bill".

The first minister agrees this is the biggest issue the world and humanity faces, as David Attenborough said earlier this week.

Ms Sturgeon insists the Climate Change Bill will go as far as it possibly can as fast as it can.

She points out that the Scottish government has asked the UK Committee on Climate Change for new advice on the targets in the bill.

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SNP MSP Bob Doris expresses concern about people in his constituency being cut off from electricity supplies and highlights how many then face re-connection charges.

Ms Sturgeon points to assistance for tackling fuel poverty, before urging SSE and other energy suppliers to be "fair and compassionate" in dealing with customers struggling to pay.

Tory MSP Margaret Mitchell says companies in the waste management sector who have complied with landfill tax provision are facing retrospective tax for regulations not confirmed until after the initial legislation was passed.

The first minister says she will have the relevant minister look into this.