Image source, JO COX FOUNDATION

Rival tabloid newspapers have printed a joint editorial urging people to take part in events to mark the first anniversary of the murder of MP Jo Cox.

The Sun, external and Daily Mirror, external printed the joint message to support The Great Get Together organised by Mrs Cox's family.

The editors of the Daily Telegraph, external and the Guardian, external have also written a joint opinion piece, printed in both papers.

Thousand of community events will be held this weekend, a year since the Labour MP was fatally shot and stabbed.

The mother-of-two and MP for Batley and Spen, 41, was attacked while she was on her way to a constituency event on 16 June last year.

Image source, bbc

Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald also pays tribute to the Edinburgh Festivals.

Mr Macdonald says the Edinburgh Festivals were created after the Second World War.

He says the post war Labour government recognised the need for a beacon of hope and the creation of Edinburgh as a festival city was just that.

Mr Macdonald says the festivals were to promote hope and unity and the festivals are truly world events.

He says hatred, division and fear are stalking the world today, via terrorism in Manchester, London and throughout the world

Mr Macdonald says the Great Get Together this weekend will be a direct answer to the forces of hatred that killed Jo Cox a year ago.

Here is the Labour amendment.

Image source, Scottish Parliament

Mr Lindhurst acknowledges the role that the 25,000 or so local performers play and that they do not benefit financially in the same way as the household names.

The Tory MSP says many of them spend thousands of pounds to hire venues and put on a show and that this money may never be recouped.

He says it is to be welcomed that the Scottish and UK governments continue to provide support for the festival.

Mr Mountain says that the Scottish Conservatives will support the government motion and Labour amendment.

Image source, bbc

Conservative MSP Gordon Lindhurst says: "Today we recognise the extraordinary success of the Edinburgh Festivals in their 70th year."

Mr Lindhurst says even Mr Bing might be surprised to see the success of the festivals today.

He picks out in particular the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Here is the Tory amendment.

Image source, Scottish Parliament

Ms Hyslop says the government will have to work hard to make sure the festival is not diminished.

The culture secretary says "the festivals are distinctly Scottish but profoundly international."

She says individual countries choose Edinurgh to showcase their own contributions.

Ms Hyslop pays tribute to all the artists and audiences.

Image source, IVON BARTHOLOMEW

Edinburgh's Festivals are to benefit from £300,000 in extra funding to celebrate the 70th anniversary of their founding.

The Scottish government money will help mark the origins in 1947 of the Edinburgh International, Fringe and Film Festivals.

It takes total government support for the capital's festivals next year to £2.3m.

And it builds on the £90,000 announced previously for the Hogmanay fireworks.

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Ms Hyslop says this year the government have allocated extra funding to the Edinburgh Festival this year to mark the 70th year.

The culture secretary says the the government has been a strong supporter of the impact performance venue.

Image source, bbc

A £2.3m investment is being made in Scottish talent as part of the 70th anniversary of Edinburgh festivals.

The funding will support skills, talent development and projects which connect with Scotland's diverse communities.

The Scottish government has allocated the cash through the Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund in 2017/18.

The first of the projects will be Talent Lab, part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival's programme for new and emerging film-makers.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said the money was an investment in the skills and talent of both emerging and established artists.

Read more here.

Ms Hyslop says the Fringe is the world's largest arts festival, which is open access and is the largest platform in the world for artistic freedom.

Originally curated by Sir Rudolph Bing in 1947, the Edinburgh International Festival was actually the second choice site to Oxford to host the festivities.

Together with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, it grew in popularity over the following decades and is now the largest arts festival in the world.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop says in 1947 the festival was founded.

Ms Hyslop says art and culture were seen as a means of recognising a new world following World War II.

The specially curated anniversary programme for the EIF has now launched, celebrating 70 years of the festival. This year’s International Festival runs from Friday 4th to Monday 29th August, welcoming more than 2,000 artists to perform in Scotland’s capital.

This year’s programme boasts a mix of world-class talent from across the performing arts, featuring exceptional artists and ensembles.

Image source, Franco Lannino

Expect contemporary music from PJ Harvey, Benjamin Clementine, as well as a special collaboration from Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker with Chilly Gonzales.

Companies and ensembles include world-leading dance company Nederlands Dans Theater, the orchestra of Milan’s world-renowned opera house La Scala Filarmonica della Scala, and a celebration of the music psychedelic-folk legends The Incredible String Band.

Theatre highlights include a co-production with The Old Vic – who performed at the very first festival in 1947 – with a world premiere from one of the country’s best-loved playwrights Alan Ayckbourn.

This year, there's an expanded opera programme, featuring classic operas including Puccini's La Boheme and Verdi's Macbeth.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop leads a debate to recognise and celebrate Edinburgh's International Festivals in their 70th year.