First Minister John Swinney met Rhun ap lorwerth MS, the leader of Plaid Cymru, at Bute House to discuss how relations with Wales can be strengthened.
Speaking after the meeting, the First Minister described Wales as one of Scotland’s ‘closest partners’ and said the two nations can be a uniting force in creating a fairer, more progressive society which seeks to tackle inequality and advance economic opportunities.
The First Minister said: “I am committed to forging a constructive relationship with nations across the UK and collaborating on issues of mutual interest.
“Wales is one of Scotland’s closest partners and I was pleased to welcome Rhun ap lorwerth to Scotland to discuss how we can work together to build a better future.
“Wales and Scotland have an enduring bond, with both countries having faced similar issues at different periods in our history. In a rapidly changing society, we must stand ready to work together again to overcome the challenges we both face – such as tackling child poverty.
“I have pledged my government’s commitment to working with the people of Wales to ensure our two nations can be a uniting force in building a fairer, more progressive society – a society that prioritises tackling inequality by creating the economic conditions to help communities thrive.”
People should use trustworthy sources of information to make the best possible decisions about health, Health Secretary Neil Gray has said.
In response to the growing volume of false information, and a recommendation from the pandemic advisory group, the Standing Committee on Pandemic Preparedness, the Scottish Government has launched a Scottish Health Information Integrity Strategy.
Mr Gray said it would help the NHS counter false and misleading health information by giving healthcare professionals the tools to enable people to make the best possible choices about their own health.
He said: “There is lot of health information at our fingertips, but often it is not in line with the science and evidence produced by international experts. Some of it is misleading, inaccurate, and sometimes just plain false. This strategy will help the Scottish Government and our health partners respond to the growing threat from such poor-quality information.
“For all of us, understanding our health and options is vital, as the wrong information can lead us to make the wrong choices that can harm us or our loved ones. The Scottish Health Information Integrity Strategy will guide our response to these challenges and help retain public trust in the NHS.
“For any health questions, in the first instance, people should go to Scotland’s national health information service NHS Inform, which provides evidence-based and accurate health information.”
University of Edinburgh Chair in Public Health, and Scottish Government Chief Social Policy Adviser Professor Linda Bauld said: “People are seeking information about their health in new ways, and often from platforms which are not accurate.
“This strategy marks the beginning of the Scottish healthcare system’s response. It describes potential first steps to help NHS Scotland and others build and maintain trust and find the best ways of providing people with information.”
The strategy makes a number of recommendations on developing leadership and co-ordination, and rapidly responding and building resilience to false health information. These include:
providing dedicated resources
participating in UK and international networks
supporting staff to have evidence-based conversations with patients
supporting embedding media, digital and health literacy into the Curriculum for Excellence
engaging with community partners and third-sector organisations on public health messaging.
Did you know it’s illegal to set off or throw fireworks in a public space, like your street or the local park?
If you know someone putting themselves or others at risk by letting off fireworks or deliberately starting fires, you can speak to us or Crimestoppers.
Anything you share with them stays 100% anonymous. Always.
Aldi has helped Teenage Cancer Trust patients and staff in Edinburgh get into the Halloween spirit by donating a range of seasonal goodies.
The wards at Western General Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children received everything from pumpkins and decorations to costumes and treats, helping young people to celebrate Halloween away from home.
Since first partnering with Teenage Cancer Trust in 2017, Aldi has raised more than £12 million for the charity, with a commitment to raise £20 million by 2031 to ensure no young person faces cancer alone.
This Halloween, 28 Teenage Cancer Trust units across the country received donations from the supermarket, giving patients, family and staff the chance to enjoy seasonal celebrations together.
Michelle Aucott, Senior Partnerships Manager at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “We’re so grateful to Aldi for their continued support.
“These small seasonal gestures make a big difference, helping young people to celebrate Halloween away from home.”
Liz Fox, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, added:“We’re proud to support Teenage Cancer Trust through a wide range of fundraising events and donations.Halloween is meant to be a time of fun and thrills, so we hope that our donation will help to bring some spooky fun and joy to young people and staff this year.”
Teenage Cancer Trust works in partnership with the NHS to provide highly-trained expert staff and specialist cancer units in NHS hospitals across the UK. The charity is there at every stage from diagnosis, through treatment and after treatment.
It also brings young people with cancer together so they can support each other.
Homicide numbers in Scotland have fallen to their lowest level since comparable records began in 1976, according to official figures.
Cases recorded by Police Scotland fell to 45 homicides in 2024-25, down 12 on the previous year. For all of the 45 homicide victims recorded in 2024-25, the associated case was solved.
The greatest reduction in homicide victims over the last 20 years has been among young people aged 16-24 – falling from 110 victims between 2005-06 and 2009-10 to 31 between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
The publication by Scotland’s Chief Statistician provides information on crimes of homicide recorded by the police in Scotland in 2024-25.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “My thoughts are with every family who have lost a loved one, however the fact that the number of homicides has fallen significantly over the last decade, now to a record low in 2024-25, is clearly a positive and welcome trend.
“While the number of young lives lost to homicide has also reduced significantly over recent years, behind every statistic is the grief of loved ones and a tragedy that demands continued and determined action.
“I am grateful to Police Scotland for their work that saw 100% of cases solved last year – a fact which, along with the decline in homicides, is further evidence that Scotland remains a safe place to live and justice is being served.
“The Scottish Government has invested more than £6 million since 2023 to support implementation of the Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland. This funding provides a range of activities to prevent violence and reduce its harm, much of which is supporting young people away from violence.
“To help prevent the future abuse and death of women and girls, we now have the statutory framework in place to create what will be Scotland’s first national multi-agency domestic homicide and suicide review model, with reviews expected to start from next spring.”
HARBOUR Homes’ North Edinburgh Awards are all about celebrating what makes Leith and north Edinburgh an amazing place to live.
The inaugural awards night, organised by Harbour Homes, took place at Out of the Blue Drill Hall on Thursday 23 October 2025. The evening kicked off with a magic show and community get-together before the winners were revealed.
Tenants of Harbour Homes and members of the local community nominated neighbours, volunteers, local businesses and community groups who they felt deserved a big thank you.
The categories were: Good Neighbour, Community Champion, Community Group, and Favourite Local Business.
Heather Kiteley, Chief Executive at Harbour Homes said: “We created this event to bring the community together as part of our 50th celebrations.
“It was a much-needed celebration of the people who make our communities great. All those nominated were deserving of the recognition on the night, and I am immensely grateful for the positive impact they have on the lives of our tenants and the wider community.”
The winners announced on the night were:
Good Neighbour: Dana Hunter
Community Champion: Daniel Ndlovu
Community Group: The Citadel
Favourite Local Business: Quirkys
Nominations were encouraged to shine a spotlight on the everyday heroes around us. Dana Hunter received several nominations for looking out for her neighbours and being a kind and caring member of the community.
Dana said: “I didn’t expect to be nominated or to win, a big thank you to my neighbours.”
Daniel Ndlovu participates as a youth volunteer with YMCA Edinburgh and was nominated for his fantastic attitude and commitment to improving his local community. He plays an important role in the Friday Night Lights project which has been linked with a 25% reduction in anti social behaviour on the evening it runs.
The Community Group Award went to The Citadel whose nominations highlighted the excellent work they do with young people and families of Leith.
Willy Barr, Manager, The Citadel, said: “Winning the North Edinburgh Community Group Award was a real boost to everyone involved at The Citadel.
“We love being in the heart of the Community in Leith and we have so many stories of bringing people together, trying new things, facing challenges together but most important of all, having fun!
“Well done to the other finalists and winners – we are all part of what makes Leith a great place to be.”
Quirkys won Favourite Local Business and received multiple nominations for their helpfulness and for uplifting the appearance of the local area.
Stuart Wright, owner of Quirkys plants said: “Thank you so much for this massively encouraging award.
“I am really grateful to my fantastic customers who continue to support me and other small businesses.”
The Scottish Government recorded a £1 billion underspend in 2024/25 but still needs to move away from short-term measures to address a stark forecast gap between its spending plans and funding.
The underspend was supported by over £2 billion of additional funding from the UK Government, meaning a plan to help balance the budget with £460 million of offshore wind leasing revenues was not needed.
Significant pressures remain in achieving financial balance in 2025/26, and many of the necessary savings identified and delivered so far are non-recurring. This continued short-term approach to managing spending is not supporting the fiscal sustainability of the Scottish public sector.
The Scottish Government’s latest Medium Term Financial Strategy projects a combined resource and capital funding gap of £4.7 billion by 2029/30. This is due to policy choices and higher workforce costs. However, the government’s plan to make savings over the next five years lacks detail on how they will be delivered.
Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “Although the Scottish Government reported a £1 billion underspend this year, it did so from a combination of additional funding from the UK Government and one-off savings.
“A forecast gap of nearly £5 billion remains between what ministers want to spend on public services and the funding available to them.
“The Scottish Government needs to prepare more detailed plans setting out how it will close that gap by the end of the decade.”
A national TV, radio and multi-media campaign that aims to improve school attendance by supporting parents, carers, and teachers to make school a positive experience for all children has been launched.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth joined pupils and teachers at Pathhead Primary in Kirkcaldy to launch the campaign, which deals with the root causes of absences, and identifies ways to approach conversations about wellbeing that can help pupils to improve their attendance.
The campaign highlights new resources available on Parent Club, the Scottish Government’s information hub offering advice and support for parents and carers.
The advice aims to support conversations between families, pupils and their teachers, to identify and help overcome the issues behind why a child may be reluctant to go to school. It complements existing guidance from Education Scotland to support schools and councils to improve attendance.
Ms Gilruth said: “We know that too many young people are missing school for reasons that can be tough on them and their families. While the most recent figures show a slight increase in attendance, rates remain lower than they were before the pandemic.
“The underlying issues that drive poor attendance can be complex and unique – young people may struggle due to anxiety, additional support needs, or reluctance to attend – and this can leave parents and guardians feeling frustrated and powerless.
“There is no quick fix for improving school attendance – it is a journey that parents, schools, and pupils must to take together, and which the new resources on Parent Club can help them navigate.”
Pathhead Primary School has seen improvements in attendance through a combination of universal and targeted interventions, underlined by strong parent-school partnerships.
The school has a dedicated Attendance Team – known as the A-Team – which involves leadership, administration and family workers. It works to build positive relationships with families and to support every child facing attendance challenges.
Pathhead Primary Headteacher Jillian Mellis said: “We have worked together with staff, families and children to improve attendance at Pathhead Primary School and have seen significant gains over the last few years.
“Understanding the challenges and barriers for our children and families has been crucial to improving attendance and relationships are at the heart of everything we do. Communication is supported universally, and we are rigorous in our processes when children do not attend.
“Keeping in touch, receiving practical and emotional support and ensuring a warm welcome from everyone is the approach we all use at Pathhead. Families and staff report the impact of this on wellbeing and achievement, not only for the children but for the whole family and wider community.”
Parent Club has tips and advice for parents and carers if their child is struggling to go to school.
A new film highlighting the significant impact of violence and disorder involving fireworks on communities, services and emergency workers has been shared by Police Scotland.
The film features interviews with a mother, whose son was injured, a bus driver whose bus was struck by a brick, a police officer who underlines the impact of blue light-personnel and a community representative who calls on people to take pride in their local area.
Police Scotland, Lothian Buses, and Places for People, a social enterprise organisation, contributed to the package as part of work to reduce disorder and criminality over the Bonfire Night period.
In 2024, despite a positive reduction in serious disorder offences, police officers, firefighters, bus drivers, and local communities were subject to unacceptable levels of violence between 31 October and 5 November.
As a result of the criminal investigations that followed, 61 people were charged with fireworks-related criminality across Scotland.
Inspector Scott Casey, an experienced Public Order Officer, discusses how he and his colleagues came under attack during the disorder that took place in 2023 and the feeling of being struck with fireworks, as well as seeing members of his team sustain injury.
Tony Beecher from Lothian Buses recounts a terrifying experience where his bus, which had several passengers onboard, was targeted with a brick and warned of the serious consequences that could arise if a bus was to crash after being struck.
Over the last few years, the Niddrie area has experienced significant and unacceptable levels of disorder, resulting in damage to public property and causing fear and alarm to local residents and businesses.
Cheryl Neil, Places For People’s Community Safety Area Manager for Scotland gives an overview of how those living within this region have suffered greatly and urged people to take pride in their community and help prevent it being the scene of mass disorder this year.
The video also includes a harrowing interview with Catherine, whose 11-year-old son sustained third-degree burns to his legs after he and some friends started a fire for a social media stunt.
Catherine recalls the anguish of seeing her child in extreme pain after sustaining the injuries and calls on all parents to talk to their own kids about the dangers associated with starting fires.
KING CHARLES FORCED INTO FURTHER ACTION TO SHORE UP MONARCHY
Statement from Buckingham Palace:
His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew.
Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence.
Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation.
These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.
Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.
Lord Louis Mountbatten’s reputation isn’t exactly flawless either, is it? – Ed.
