The First Minister's Official Spokesman said this afternoon.
"It is with deep sadness I have to report that Scotland's First Minister, Donald Dewar, has died. He was visited by his daughter Marion and son Ian earlier today and after discussion with the consultant treating him, the decision was taken to take him off the life support system. The cause of the First Minister's death was a brain haemorrhage. Marion and Ian have asked me to express their thanks to all those who assisted their father over the last two days. In particular they would like to thank the medical staff at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary Accident and Emergency Unit and the staff in the intensive care unit here at the Western General Hospital. News of the First Minister's death has been passed to his Cabinet colleagues and to Prime Minister, Tony Blair and his colleagues in London. I am sure everyone will agree that this is a sad day for Scotland.
"Scotland has lost a great man."
11 October 2000
It seems to me that the world has not noticed. CBC Newsworld's site had nothing on the issue. CNN's European home had a small link under "Other News". It took several clicks to find a wire news story on ABC News, apparently No Garlic Please, I’m the Queen is more important. MSNBC have nothing.
Is Scotland not big enough to be noticed?