John Higgins, Mark Williams, Zhao Xintong, Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby and defending champion Lei Peifan are among the snooker stars in the field for the BetVictor Scottish Open in Edinburgh in December.
The draw and schedule is OUT NOW for the world ranking event and fans are strongly urged to book tickets fast to make sure of their seats to see the greatest stars on the planet competing for the Stephen Hendry Trophy. Tickets start at just £16.50, incredible value for the chance to see world class live sport.
The 64-player tournament runs from December 15th to 21st at the Meadowbank Sports Centre in the Scottish capital and it will be screened across the planet by broadcasters including TNT Sports, Eurosport, DMAX and WST Play.
China’s Lei, ranked 84th in the world at the time, registered a massive shock last year when he beat Wu Yize in the final to land his first pro title. He starts the defence of his crown against Amir Sarkhosh on the opening morning at 10am on Monday December 15th.
Other key matches over the opening days include:
Scotland’s four-time Crucible king John Higgins v Antoni Kowalski. 1pm on Monday December 15th
British Open champion Shaun Murphy v Liu Hongyu. Not before 2pm on Monday December 15th
World number three and Saudi Masters champion Neil Robertson v He Guoqiang. 7pm on Monday December 15th
Reigning World Champion Zhao Xintong v Robert Milkins. Not before 8pm on Monday December 15th
Former UK Champion Stephen Maguire v Chang Bingyu. Not before 8pm on Monday December 15th
Scotland’s Anthony McGill v Tom Ford. 1pm on Tuesday December 16th
Xi’an Grand Prix champion Mark Williams v Ben Mertens. 1pm on Tuesday December 16th
Four-time World Champion Mark Selby v Robbie McGuigan. Not before 2pm on Tuesday December 16th
World number two Kyren Wilson v Gao Yang. 7pm on Tuesday December 16th
BetVictor English Open champion Mark Allen v Ishpreet Singh Chadha. Not before 8pm on Tuesday December 16th
Higgins said: “I always enjoy playing in my home tournament, with my family and friends watching.
“Obviously it would mean a great deal to win the title, it would be really special and all of the Scottish players would say the same. The standard is so good now, without a doubt it’s the best time there has ever been to be a fan.”
It’s the third event in the 2025/26 BetVictor Home Nations Series and the arena will be packed for many sessions across the seven days in the heart of one of the world’s most historic cities.
Heart Research UK’s award-winning art auction, the anonymous heART project, is back for its eighth consecutive year, offering art lovers a rare chance to own original pieces from world-renowned artists, all while supporting life-saving heart research.
This unique auction invites the public to bid on A5-sized artworks created by a mix of internationally acclaimed and emerging artists. The twist? The identity of each artist remains a mystery until the auction closes, hence the name the anonymous heART project.
Since its launch in 2018, the anonymous heART project has raised over £440,000, with more than 3,000 artworks donated. Every penny goes directly to Heart Research UK, a charity dedicated to the prevention, treatment and cure of heart diseases.
In the UK, heart disease claims a life every five minutes. Heart Research UK is tackling this crisis by funding vital research into cardiovascular conditions and supporting a range of preventative initiatives, from workplace and community health checks to grants for local groups across the country.
This year’s auction features pieces from iconic names including, Dame Zandra Rhodes DBE ZDI, a celebrated British fashion designer, famous for creating clothing for Princess Diana, Freddie Mercury, and Marc Bolan. Dame Zandra is also the founder of London’s Fashion and Textile Museum.
Dame Zandra commented: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of the anonymous heART project. It’s a beautiful initiative that brings together creativity and compassion in the most meaningful way.
“Knowing that a small piece of art can help fund life-saving heart research is incredibly powerful. I hope my contribution brings joy to its new owner and helps shine a little more colour on the vital work Heart Research UK is doing to protect hearts across the country.“
Robert Smith, lead singer of The Cure and a passionate Patron of Heart Research UK has supported the project since 2019, he also has donated art works this year. In a previous statement RobertSmith shared: “I am very proud to be a Patron of Heart Research UK.
“Their determined focus on pioneering investigation into the understanding and treatment of cardiovascular disease, and their drive to improve the ‘heart health’ of the UK is inspiring.”
Other notable contributors include Gorillaz illustrator, Jamie Hewlett, Paul Insect, Hannah Flowers, Emily Gravett, Bil Donovan, Julian Opie, Russell Tovey, The London Police, Sue Williams A’Court, Kamwei Fong, and many more.
Jamie Hewlett also commented: “It’s cool to be part of something where the art does the talking and even cooler when it helps save lives.
“Big love to Heart Research UK for making creativity count.”
This year, for the first time ever in anonymous heART project history, the auction will also feature a limited-edition collection of larger artworks that customers can bid on during the auction.
Whether you’re a seasoned collector or a first-time bidder, the anonymous heART project offers a thrilling opportunity to own a one-of-a-kind piece of art, while helping fund vital research that saves lives.
The auction officially starts on 31st October and will be ongoing for 10 days, to find out more about the anonymous heART project, register your interest here.
Edinburgh Poverty Commission – A Just Capital: 2025 Call to Action
Join us for the official launch of the Edinburgh Poverty Commission’s Interim Report!
This exciting event will take place at the Nicolson Square Venues, where we will share our findings and calls to action to tackle poverty in our city over the next 5 years.
You’ll also have the opportunity to meet the commission members and citizens who have shaped this work, and to help us build on what is already a vibrant movement to end poverty in Edinburgh.
We look forward to seeing you then!
Jim McCormick and Linda Craik – Co-chairs, Edinburgh Poverty Commission
BACKGROUND:
In 2020 we published our landmark report ‘A Just Capital’ setting a ten year mission, and clear calls to action for the steps needed to eradicate poverty in Scotland’s capital city.
Five years into that mission we have reconvened, in a newly invigorated collaboration with the End Poverty Edinburgh citizen’s group, to comment on what has changed in this city since the publication of our first report, what has worked best for people who live in poverty, and to set out a practical pathway for the next five years.
Doors open 9.30am for 10:00am start Event ends 12:00 noon.
We are excited to share a delicious community meal with you today. We do our best to have a variety of options, including vegetarian and often a delicious pudding.
What’s on the menu today:
Leek and potato soup
Lamb casserole with potato and veg
Cauliflower curry with rice (V)
Banana cake with custard
Please check the board or ask our volunteers about allergens.
And just a heads-up, our food is served until it runs out!
Police Scotland is dedicating more resource than ever before to tackle crimes involving fireworks over the Bonfire Night period.
Operation Moonbeam 2025 is officially launched today – Friday, 24 October – and will once again see public order officers supporting colleagues from local policing divisions to tackle violence and disorder and protect communities from harm.
In 2024, there was a reduction in the number of serious order incidents across the country and the number of officers injured fell to one, compared with 62 in 2023.
However, the level of violence directed towards police and other emergency services was still of significant concern and additional resource is being provided to support local policing teams dealing with fireworks-related crime.
Operation Moonbeam was first launched in 2018, following serious disorder in various parts of the country which saw one officer in Edinburgh seriously injured when she was struck by a firework.
Overall, fireworks offences have seen a reduction since this time, but an increased targeting of emergency services has prompted a more robust response to tackling these incidents.
In addition to enhanced levels of specialist support, frontline officers in Edinburgh a will be equipped with Body Worn Video, as the national roll-out of this technology continues.
This will improve opportunities to identify those involved in criminal activity during this time, including attacks on police officers and emergency service workers.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs, Gold Commander for Operation Moonbeam, said: “Last year, following Bonfire Night, I reflected on what was a successful policing operation that saw a reduction in serious disorder offences and a dramatic reduction in the number of officers injured.
“As part of this year’s campaign, we will shortly be publishing some compelling stories from members of Police Scotland, Lothian Busses and affected communities highlighting the significant impact being involved in, or subject to attacks with fireworks can have.
“However, we still saw unacceptable levels of violence and disorder in parts of Glasgow and Edinburgh, leaving communities in these areas in a state of fear and alarm. This was wholly unacceptable, and we immediately launched a major criminal investigation to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
“Over 60 people have been reported for their involvement in fireworks offences over the Bonfire Night period for 2024. I want to make it clear our pursuit of offenders for any crimes this year will be equally unrelenting. If you chose to create fear in your community, and if you chose to attack those who are deployed to keep people safe, you will face justice.
“We will use all available technology, resources and policing tactics at our disposal to keep our people safe while they, in turn work with other emergency service partners to protect the public from harm.
“Please help us make Bonfire Night 2025 a safe event for everyone looking to enjoy it.”
Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown added: “We want everyone to enjoy Bonfire Night and I urge those planning to use fireworks to do so safely and responsibly.
“Misuse of fireworks puts communities and emergency services at risk and will not be tolerated. While Police Scotland reported a reduction in serious disorder on Bonfire Night last year, the Scottish Government will continue to support the police and courts in taking firm action against those who do break the law.
“We have brought in a number of measures to improve firework safety, including a ban on providing fireworks to under-18s and making attacks on emergency workers using fireworks an aggravating factor that courts can take into account when sentencing offenders. We have also provided local authorities with powers to designate firework control zones in local areas and a number of these will be in place this year.
“My thanks go to all the emergency services who have been working hard to ensure a safe Bonfire Night and who will again be on the front line to keep our communities safe.”
Andrew Laing, Deputy Crown Agent for Local Court at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “Those who carry out reckless and dangerous public offending throughout the period of Bonfire Night can expect to be dealt with rigorously by the justice system.
“Those deliberately putting other people in danger may be held in custody by the police, remanded by the courts, and expect to receive a custodial sentence at the conclusion of the court case.
“Anyone seeking to obstruct or attack an emergency worker will be treated with the full force of the law.
“We stand fully behind justice partners in ensuring that the public and members of the emergency services are protected at all times.
“Our message to people who carry out this type of offending is that it carries serious consequences.
“We will always prosecute such matters where there is a sufficiency of evidence and it is in the public interest to do so.”
European leaders set to arrive in London today for a meeting of the ‘Coalition of Willing’ as Ukraine’s allies ramp up pressure on Russia heading into winter
Global leaders set to convene this afternoon both in person in London, and virtually, to discuss how they can pile pressure on Putin
Prime Minister will urge leaders to act to take Russian oil and gas off the global market, finish the job on Russian sovereign assets to unlock billions of pounds to fund Ukraine’s defences, and step up the gifting of long-range capabilities
Meeting comes as the Prime Minister announces acceleration of missile delivery programme to deliver 140 lightweight-multirole missiles to Ukraine this winter, supporting UK jobs
PILING PRESSURE ON PUTIN?
European leaders are set to arrive in London today for a critical meeting of the ‘Coalition of Willing’ as Ukraine’s allies ramp up pressure on Russia heading into winter.
Leaders will convene this afternoon, both in person and virtually, to discuss how they can pile pressure on Putin as he continues to kill innocent civilians with indiscriminate attacks across Ukraine, including hitting a nursery filled with toddlers and children this week.
The London hosted meeting comes after Putin proved yet again that he is not serious about ending his illegal war, failing to engage with President Trump’s most recent proposals for meaningful peace talks.
Leaders are expected to use the meeting to focus the world’s attention on how they can further strengthen Ukraine’s hand and cripple Russia’s ability to continue to wage war.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The only person involved in this conflict who does not want to stop the war is President Putin, and his depraved strikes on young children in a nursery this week make that crystal clear.
“Time and again we offer Putin the chance to end his needless invasion, to stop the killing and recall his troops, but he repeatedly rejects those proposals and any chance of peace.
“From the battlefield to the global markets, as Putin continues to commit atrocities in Ukraine we must ratchet up the pressure on Russia and build on President Trump’s decisive action.
“After all, Ukraine’s security matters to us all, and what happens on the frontline of Donetsk today is shaping our collective future for years to come.”
In the past fortnight, the international community has stepped up its decisive action to force President Putin back to the negotiating table and secure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.
That has included the US’ decisive action this week to place a chokehold round Putin’s finance flows and sanction two of the largest Russian oil companies, following the UK action taken last week.
The European Union has also adopted its 19th sanctions package against Russia, further targeting the Russian oil trade and cracking down on financial loopholes, and Ukraine’s allies have accelerated work to use the full value of immobilised Russian Sovereign Assets to support Ukraine – a move that would be unprecedented and finance Ukraine’s war efforts for years to come.
The government has been clear that the UK’s national security – the foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change – starts in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister Dick Schoof, as well as the NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, are all expected to attend the meeting in person at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office today.
They will be greeted by children from St Mary’s Ukrainian School, which has welcomed hundreds of displaced Ukrainian children since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
A further 20 leaders are expected to dial into the call.
During the call, the Prime Minister is expected to call on leaders to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position going into the winter. He will urge leaders to act to take Russian oil and gas off the global market, finish the job on Russian sovereign assets to unlock billions of pounds to fund Ukraine’s defences, and step up the gifting of long-range capabilities to ensure Ukraine can build on its success of this week.
Leaders will also discuss how more can be done to protect energy infrastructure, as Russia continues to systematically destroy critical national infrastructure, plunging millions of innocent Ukrainians into the cold and dark.
The Prime Minister will announce that a UK missile building programme has been accelerated to deliver more than 100 extra air defence missiles ahead of schedule to bolster Ukraine’s defences through the depths of winter.
The package forms part of the £1.6bn deal between UK industry and Ukraine in March to provide more than 5,000 lightweight-multirole missiles (LMM) to support Ukraine’s defence, creating 200 jobs and supporting 700 existing jobs at Thales in Belfast.
The contract tripled the LMM production capacity and as work has progressed quicker than expected the delivery of an extra 140 LMMs will be accelerated to provide to Ukraine in the winter months.
TOMORROW, Saturday 25th October, Child Poverty Action Group – alongside other members of the End Child Poverty Coalition – will be joining charities, community organisations, faith groups, trade unions and many more in a march from Holyrood to the Meadows in Edinburgh (writes CPAG Scotland’s MARIA MARSHALL).
#ScotlandDemandsBetter has been organised to give organisations and individuals in Scotland an opportunity to make their voices heard and demand that politicians make the change needed so that every household in Scotland can thrive.
Signs we are on the right track…
In a lot of ways, we have seen progress to tackle child poverty in the past several years, at least here in Scotland.
The passing of the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act in 2017 was a watershed moment. Following the abandoning of child poverty targets by the UK Government in 2015, the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act ( unanimously backed by all of Holyrood’s parties) set targets for child poverty reduction and requirements such as a tackling child poverty delivery plan to be published by the Scottish Government every four years.
The result of this cross-government, cross-party effort in Scotland has been to sharpen the minds of those who hold the power and drive real and tangible progress for families.
Since then, we have seen the introduction and expansion of the Scottish child payment (SCP), first introduced in February 2021 and now worth £27.15 a week for every eligible child under 16.
Along with other members of End Child Poverty and the Scotland Demands Better movement we are now calling for immediate and sustained increases in its value so that it reaches £55 per week by the end of the next parliament. Investing further in the Scottish child payment is the most direct and cost-effective tool available to the Scottish government to further reduce child poverty.
SCP is one of a suite of policy interventions in the first two delivery plans including; Best Start Foods and Best Start grant (replacing Healthy Start and Sure Start in the UK), an expanded offer of 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare, increased focus on parental employability support and the expansion of universal free school meals in primary schools (despite subsequent backtracking on promises for universal provision for P6-7 pupils too…)
Of all the interventions taken, it is the increased investment in social security in Scotland that is behind the diverging trend confirmed in the latest child poverty statistics which saw child poverty in Scotland fall by four percentage points, while rising (once again) UK-wide. Steps in the right direction for sure.
We’ve come some way, but not far enough
So on the one hand, we have seen some real success. In December last year, research commissioned by CPAG on the costs of raising a child, found that the gap between costs and incomes for families in Scotland was narrower than the rest of the UK. However, this same research found that Scotland’s lowest-income families are still left with less than half the income they need for a minimum socially acceptable standard of living.
Despite showing that progress had been made, this year’s child poverty statistics also confirmed that over one in five children in Scotland are still growing up in poverty. For those children, for all children, we are demanding better.
We can shout about the progress made, but for families living on the sharp end of the cost of living crisis, this will ring hollow. Summer holidays this year too often brought more stress and anxiety for Scottish parents than opportunities to learn and play. Like Hope, parent and participant in the Changing Realities project, who wrote in July:
“Already it has been a bit stressful. The kids are constantly hungry and “bored” then hungry again. Which means more food shopping. I can’t afford summer clubs/camps (tennis, football, multi sports, water sports etc) as they are coming in at around £40 a day and some of them state you have to bring your own packed lunches … I also am embarrassed to take the kids to a food bank this year. So if my oldest boy is in I’ll get him to watch my youngest and tell them “I’m going shopping.”
Too many families are being denied the security and opportunity to thrive that we all deserve. But looking to the future, there should be reason to feel hope.
Standing at the crossroads
We now have two governments, UK and Scotland, who have made a commitment to tackling child poverty. Campaigners are anxiously awaiting the UK child poverty strategy due to be published this Autumn.
Next year’s elections in Scotland also provide an opportunity for all parties, MSPs and candidates to commit to building on the progress made and delivering a better future for all of Scotland’s children.
In theory, we are at the cusp of a real opportunity for making progress on tackling child poverty. But we can also risk losing our way…
Will we build on the progress made in Scotland to meet the 2030 targets? Will the UK Government pull the levers in their power such as scrapping the two-child limit and benefit cap to move us in the right direction together?
Or will we see a stalling in Scotland, resting on existing progress and unable to keep up with the rising costs squeezing low-income families? Will the UK strategy fail to tackle the true drivers of rising child poverty such as the slashing of social security support in the past 15 years?
Walking with hope
In May last year, parents from the Changing Realities project launched their own campaign ‘Hope Starts Here’ with the aim to change the narrative on the progress we need to see by shifting the focus on the potential that all children have.
One parent, Faith, expressed that: “I hope that my children will be able to have endless possibilities of what and who they want to become in the future when they grow up. There is a big world waiting out there for them.”
Faith’s words encapsulate why members of the End Child Poverty coalition will be marching together to demand better for our children. All children should have endless possibilities of what and who they want to be when they grow up.
Better is possible. There is already ambition across the political spectrum to tackle child poverty. We now need to see the two-child limit and benefit cap scrapped at UK level, and in Scotland we need all parties to set out a clear path that will deliver year on year progress towards the 2030 targets, so that every child in Scotland can have the best possible start in life.
If you’re in Edinburgh on Saturday, please join us.
Road policing officers are appealing for information following a crash involving a car and a pedestrian in Edinburgh.
Around 12.55pm on Wednesday, 22 October, a blue Vauxhall Corsa failed to stop for officers on Newington Road. A short pursuit took place before the car struck a pedestrian at the junction of Liberton Road and Gilmerton Road.
The vehicle failed to stop and continued south on Gilmerton Road and was later found abandoned a short distance away on Glenallan Drive.
The pedestrian, a 47-year-old man, was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment to serious injuries.
Sergeant Grant Hastie said: “Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and trace those responsible.
“I would urge anyone who witnessed the crash, or saw a blue Vauxhall Corsa in the area beforehand or afterwards, to come forward.
“We are also keen to speak to anyone with dash-cam or private CCTV footage that may assist our investigation.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 1486 of 22 October, 2025.
In Scotland, uptake of the MMR vaccine is falling.
Getting babies and children vaccinated is the safest and most effective way to protect them from vaccine-preventable diseases that could, otherwise, lead to serious illness.
