A 45-year-old man who sexually assaulted a woman on an Easyjet flight from Naples to Edinburgh has been convicted.
Nicola Cristiano was found guilty of attempted rape following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. He will be sentenced at a later date.
He moved seats to be next to the woman during the flight that left Naples on Tuesday, 13 May, 2025. When he moved to another area of the plane she alerted cabin crew about what had happened and Cristiano was arrested when the flight landed at Edinburgh airport.
Detective Chief Inspector Steph Garnett, from Police Scotland’s Public Protection Unit, said: “Cristiano will now face the consequences of his despicable actions and I hope this brings comfort to his victim.
“He deliberately approached a woman travelling alone on a flight and sexually assaulted her. Fortunately she had an opportunity to alert a member of the cabin crew and she was taken to another part of the plane where she was safe.
“I also hope this conviction gives confidence to anyone who is the victim of sexual crime to come forward. We will thoroughly investigate reports made to us and we have specially trained officers to provide support.
“Anyone wishing to report a sexual crime can do so via 101 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Talented local Edinburgh artist Joe Capps has seen a significant surge in commissions following his recent appearance on the prestigious Sky Arts competition, Portrait Artist of the Year.
Joe, whose distinctive style captured the attention of viewers nationwide, participated in Series 12 of the hit show, where he was tasked with painting the acclaimed singer and songwriter Jacob Collier.
Competing in the high pressure environment of the studio in front of a live audience, Joe produced a striking portrait of Collier within the four hour time limit. While he did not progress to the final rounds, the response from the judges and the public alike has been overwhelmingly positive. Since the episode aired, Joe has seen a record number of enquiries, leaving the artist inundated with new commissions.
Joe commented: “The response to the show has been incredible. Participating in Portrait Artist of the Year was such an intense but rewarding experience.
“Painting someone as creative as Jacob Collier in just four hours was a massive challenge, but the feedback I’ve received from the public since then has been really heart warming.
“I’m so grateful for all the support I’ve received, and I’m looking forward to an incredibly exciting 2026.”
Joe’s rise in the art world is particularly notable given his background. A self taught artist, his formal art education ended after school. However, his career has been defined by a dedicated period of stylistic refinement. This journey led to his 2019 debut solo show, Atlas, in Kendal, and a 2021 showcase for Around The House Productions.
The momentum continued into 2025; alongside his television appearance, Joe’s piece Artemis was long-listed for the prestigious Jackson’s Art Prize. He is currently in the process of devising his second solo exhibition, further cementing his reputation as a rising talent in the contemporary Scottish art scene.
As his profile continues to grow, Joe remains committed to his commission work. He offers a diverse range of bespoke services, including personal portraits, celebrity studies, wedding portraits, and pet portraits.
For more information on Joe’s work, to view his portfolio, or to enquire about future commission availability, visit: https://www.joecappsart.com/.
Scottish Ensemble begins an exciting 2026 with the return of our Young Artist programme, helping to develop the next generation of Scotland’s young string players.
Delivered in partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, each year a group of RCS string students are selected to take part in a week-long side-by-side project with Scottish Ensemble musicians.
The week sees mentorship meet music-making in its most dynamic form, with the group working on a broad range of string repertoire, extended playing techniques, programme curation and how to communicate with audiences.
This year the development week will culminate in Musical Encounters, an electrifying collaborative performance that sees the young RCS players bring fresh energy to the stage alongside Scottish Ensemble, for afternoon concerts in Glasgow (RCS, 16 January) and Edinburgh’s Queens Hall (17 January).
Following the project two young musicians will be selected to be Scottish Ensemble’s Young Artists for 2026. They will benefit from a year-long programme of paid opportunities and development experiences designed to broaden their skills as professional musicians.
This will include joining the Ensemble for tours and performances as well as Music for Wellbeing workshops in schools and at Scotland’s Maggie’s Centres, alongside office days with the management team to gain insights into programming, fundraising, and marketing.
James Hardie, Chief Executive at Scottish Ensemble, said: “At Scottish Ensemble, we are always looking to the future of our artform, and nurturing the next generation of musicians is central to that mission.
“Our annual Young Artists week at the RCS is a highlight of the year, giving us the chance to work with a new cohort of passionate, energetic young string players.”
On Tuesday 13 January, the Scottish budget will be announced.
Right now, unpaid carers and local carer organisations are under huge pressure. Cuts to services mean carers are caring for longer and more intensively, often while living in poverty.
This cannot continue.
The National Carer Organisations are calling on the Scottish Government to:
Provide secure, long‑term funding for local carer organisations
Properly fund the Right to a Break so carers can take time to rest
Take real action to reduce carer poverty and improve health and wellbeing
Read the statement from the National Carer Organisations in full:
National Carer Organisation’s Statement on the Scottish Budget
The Scottish Budget will be announced on Tuesday 13th January 2026. Unpaid carers and local carer organisations are facing considerable challenges as the pressure on our health and social care system mounts.
Cuts to budgets and services mean more unpaid carers are caring for longer and more intensively, often while living in poverty.
The National Carer Organisations urge the Scottish Government to ensure the upcoming budget provides secure and sufficient funding to support both unpaid carers and local carer organisations. This support must include sufficient funding to support the implementation of the right to a break, as well as targeted measures to alleviate poverty and improve health and wellbeing.
Unpaid carers, including young carers, encounter a range of complex and diverse challenges that affect many aspects of their lives. The estimated value of unpaid care in Scotland is £15.9 billion annually. It is imperative that no unpaid carer experiences poverty due to their caring responsibilities.
The National Carer Organisations believe that the Scottish Government has a significant opportunity through the Scottish Budget to take decisive action, reinforce its commitment to recognising unpaid carers, and address some of the primary challenges they face.
We are calling on the Scottish Government in its budget to:
Invest to ensure unpaid carers can have a break from caring, including in developing the Right to a Break from Caring and by increasing voluntary sector short break funding.
Invest in support for unpaid carers by sustaining local carer organisations, in particular compensating for the extra costs they face from increased employer National Insurance Contributions and the forthcoming rise in the Real Living Wage from April 2026.
Invest in reducing poverty amongst unpaid carers and those they care for by delivering on commitments to improve Carer Support Payment, introducing a new payment for older adult unpaid carers, and making meaningful progress towards abolishing social care charges.
About the National Care Organisations
The National Carer Organisations in Scotland are Carers Trust Scotland, Carers Scotland, Coalition of Carers in Scotland, MECOPP, Shared Care Scotland and the Scottish Young Carers Services Alliance.
Together we have a shared vision that all Scotland’s unpaid carers will feel valued, included and supported as equal partners in the provision of care. We aim to achieve this through the representation of unpaid carers and giving them a voice at a national level.
We believe we can deliver more for unpaid carers by working together to share our knowledge and experience, and by focusing our collective efforts on achieving improvements in areas of policy and practice that are of greatest concern to unpaid carers.
One of the most iconic and beloved fantasy trilogies of all time, The Lord of The Rings, is returning to the big screen at Vue venues in Edinburgh – marking a quarter of a century since audiences fell in love with the epic adventures of Frodo and the fellowship.
Based on the legendary book series by J.R.R. Tolkien, the extended editions of this epic saga will be shown at Vue, giving fans the chance to experience the trilogy as it was meant to be seen.
Directed by Peter Jackson, the trilogy received a combined total of 30 Academy Award nominations and won 17 Oscars upon its original release, cementing its place as one of the most celebrated achievements in cinematic history.
Set in the realm of Middle-earth, Frodo Baggins leads a group of hobbits, who find themselves tasked with a quest to destroy the One Ring, a perilous mission that could determine the fate of the world and stop the dark forces of Mordor, led by the Dark Lord Sauron.
Joined by the wizard Gandalf, the human ranger Aragorn and other unforgettable characters such as Legolas and Gimli, audiences are invited to follow this motley crew across treacherous terrain and epic cinematic battles in one of cinema’s most beloved and ambitious stories.
Robert Smith, General Manager of Vue Edinburgh Omni, said: “The Lord of the Rings trilogy is simply made to be seen on the big screen so, to mark 25 years since its release, we’re thrilled to return to Middle-Earth at Vue.
“Whether you’ve simply walked to Mordor many times before or are venturing into the world of J.R.R. Tolkien for the first time, we’re excited to welcome audiences to enjoy this iconic trilogy at Vue.”
Staff at the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) continue to face unacceptable levels of violence and verbal abuse, with new concerning figures revealing that every day a staff member is assaulted or abused.
In the year 2024/2025, 369 SAS staff were physically assaulted or verbally abused, an increase of 11% compared to 2023/2024.
Nearly 200 staff members were physically hurt while on shift and with the majority of incidents happening in the East and West of the country.
These include staff being spat on, kicked, punched and threatened with weapons.
Gillian Sommerville, Technician at Leven Station, Fife, said she was with her work partner on a nightshift when they received a call at 2am to attend an unconscious male.
She said: “When we arrived, there were also three other males in their mid-teens who appeared to be under the influence of unknown alcohol or drugs and were confrontational. Due to the freezing temperatures, we quickly lifted the patient in the vehicle. The three friends then started shouting and banging on the ambulance and rocking the vehicle.
“Minutes later, the back door and side door were opened and two of the friends jumped in shouting at us. I was wedged at the top of the trolley as the third friend tried to grab me through the window. I tried to continually push him off. My partner was stuck between two of the friends near the back of the vehicle and they were shouting in her face.”
Gillian said as the patient woke up, his friends tried to drag him off the trolley. She then phoned for urgent police assistance. Gillian, who suffered an injury to her arm and spent several months undergoing physiotherapy, said three of the men were arrested and the patient subsequently assaulted a police officer while in hospital.
SAS Chief Executive Michael Dickson said: “The fact that our staff face daily violence, verbal abuse or aggression is completely unacceptable.
“These incidents can have a significant and lasting impact on our people, sometimes even leading them to leave the ambulance service.
“They have the right to carry out their work helping patients and saving lives without fear of assault or abuse and we will continue to work with Police Scotland, like we have done on this occasion, to take action against perpetrators.”
The figures are from December 2024 – 30 November 2025. 192 SAS staff were physically assaulted while 177 were verbally abused
We’re proud to announce the official opening of Manor House Therapies, a new social enterprise providing high-quality, holistic wellbeing treatments while directly supporting hospice services across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Housed in a beautiful B-listed villa in Trinity with stunning views across the Firth of Forth, Manor House Therapies offers clients a unique and serene setting for a range of accessible services that support mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.
Treatments include massage therapies, reflexology, and facials, and a dedicated counselling service. Every therapy purchased contributes to sustaining essential hospice care for patients, families and the wider community.
The new venture also plans to collaborate with organisations such as Edinburgh College and Complementary Therapy School (CTS) to provide training and work experience opportunities for young people and those retraining in the therapies industry, helping them develop skills and progress in their careers.
As an independent business, Manor House Therapies offers the public a professional, welcoming environment where wellbeing and social purpose go hand in hand.
Jackie Stone, CEO of St Columba’s Hospice Care, said: “Manor House Therapies demonstrates the innovative approaches we are taking to support our community.
“At a time when funding across the hospice sector is increasingly challenging, we see initiatives like this as an important way to help sustain the delivery of compassionate, specialist care for people across Edinburgh and the Lothians into the future.”
More than 2,500 tonnes of crushed demolition material recycled to provide firm foundations for Edinburgh’s new Social Bite Village
A man-made mountain of more than 2,500 tonnes of crushed demolition material has been transported across Edinburgh as part of an innovative scheme to provide a long-term solution for people facing homelessness.
The mammoth operation saw almost 100 truckloads of inert building rubble recycled from a city centre development site to form the foundations of a new Social Bite Village, located along the capital’s Granton waterfront.
Charity Social Bite teamed up with regeneration specialist Artisan Real Estate to relocate building material which remained following the demolition of the former Deutsche Bank House at 525 Ferry Road (above), making way for Artisan’s spectacular homes-led redevelopment of the site in 2026.
The recycled rubble is now being used to create level groundwork as part of the ongoing construction of the Social Bite Village which will soon become home for up to 16 people who have been affected by homelessness.
The new waterfront community will provide seven new one-bedroom ‘Nest Houses’, together with existing homes converted into single occupancy based on resident feedback. The new community will also include a communal area for residents to cook, gather and relax, together with gardens and space to grow fruit and vegetables.
“This is a superb example of how clever collaboration in the building industry can help improve the world around us,” says Artisan’s Managing Director for Scotland, David Westwater.
“As part of Artisan’s stated commitment to sustainability, we always ensure that as much material as possible can be reused or recycled following demolition. And for this commitment to allow us to help such a life-empowering movement as the creation of a new Social Bite Village means that this really is a perfect development partnership.”
The new Social Bite Village is a relocation of the existing temporary village site, less than one mile away in Granton. The charity’s Edinburgh village model has so far helped more than 100 residents who, at the end of their stay, are supported in transitioning to permanent accommodation. Many have gone on to secure employment, reconnect with family, and move into their own permanent homes.
Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of Social Bite, adds: “It’s very exciting to see our new project taking shape on a stunning seafront location, and we are delighted to be partnering with Artisan to provide such a firm foundation for the site.
“The success of the Edinburgh Village serves as a blueprint for other projects that we are planning. Its design offers people affected by homelessness, living in unsupported temporary accommodation or other insecure housing, a safe and supportive community in which to find a fresh start.
“With many cities all over the UK declaring housing emergencies and becoming overly reliant on expensive, substandard temporary accommodation, we are proud that our village projects can demonstrate a better alternative that also makes use of innovative construction methods.”
Artisan will start construction of its Ferry Road site, known as 525 Park View (above) in early 2026, in partnership with REInvest Asset Management S.A.
The development will create a low-carbon residential-led community providing 256 sustainable homes, 25% of which will be for affordable housing.
Flexible commercial space facing on to Ferry Road will provide potential for cafes, shops and shared workspaces.
Provide secure, long‑term funding for local carer organisations
