9am Briefing: 79-year-old woman dies after fire

AN elderly woman has died following a fire in her Marchmont home.

The 79-year-old was rescued from the blaze by firefighters yesterday afternoon but died in hospital in the early hours of this morning.

Two other people were treated in hospital for smoke inhalation.

• THE National Galleries of Scotland have lost a legal bid to claim back 100,000 in rates they believe they should not have paid on their restaurant on The Mound.

The galleries believe they have been paying the wrong rate for the restaurant since it opened in 2004.

But their appeal at the Lands Valuation Appeal Court at the Court of Session to reclaim the 20,000 a year failed as it was deemed to be time-barred.

• FORMER Doctor Who David Tennant has got engaged to his actress girlfriend Georgia Moffett - the daughter of fifth Time Lord peter Davison.

The Bathgate-born actor is said to be making plans to marry his new fiance on New Year's Day in 2012.

Tennant, 39, first met his fiance when she made a guest appearance as his daughter on the show in 2008.

• PROFITS at the partly state-owned banks RBS and Lloyds are predicted to more than double this year, according to analysts.

RBS is estimated to see pre-tax profits of 5 billion, compared with 2 billion last year, while Lloyds could expect profits of 6.5 billion, compared with last year's 2.5 billion.