Axel Piper

Caddie’s Subtle Toss Fuels Cheating Allegations at Trump Turnberry A video showing former U.S. President Donald Trump playing golf at his Turnberry resort in Scotland has triggered a fresh wave of controversy — and this time, it's not about politics. The footage, recorded over the weekend during Trump's latest visit to the Ayrshire coast, appears to show one of his caddies discreetly dropping a golf ball into a more favorable position just shy of a bunker. Within hours, the clip had gone viral on social media platforms, reigniting long-standing accusations that Trump routinely bends the rules on the fairway. “Trump…

At a windswept stretch of Scotland’s west coast, the deep rumble of a rocket engine has returned to a site once used to fuel Cold War-era bombers. This time, though, the fire is for science. A Hidden Gem for UK’s Space Ambitions MachLab, the UK’s newest rocket engine test facility, has officially opened at the Machrihanish Business Park near Campbeltown, Argyll. Housed inside a reinforced, Cold War-era bunker once designed to withstand military threats, the facility now has a very different mission: fueling Britain's future in space. Built by the University of Glasgow in partnership with aerospace firm Exotopic, MachLab…

A child has died of measles in Liverpool — the first such tragedy in over ten years. Now experts are pointing north, toward Scotland, not for blame but for answers. What separates the two isn’t just geography. It’s access, trust, and a healthcare system that, in Scotland, seems to be getting something right. A Wake-Up Call, Years in the Making The death in Liverpool has shaken public health officials, though it didn’t come out of the blue. Vaccination rates across the UK have been slipping for years, but it’s in England where the decline has been steepest. While the conversation…

Scotland may have just pulled off one of the most ambitious energy pivots the world has ever seen. Not by digging deeper or building taller—but by letting the ocean do the work. A Glasgow-based company, Oasis Marine, is turning heads with a fleet of futuristic buoys that may rewrite the rules of shipping. If successful, this floating hydrogen station concept could signal the beginning of the end for diesel-powered vessels. A New Route for Clean Shipping Power The shipping industry has long been the elephant in the climate room. It's essential, but it's filthy. Roughly 90% of the world’s goods…

WHCA calls move ‘deeply troubling’ as questions swirl over retaliation, transparency, and Trump’s media strategy Things just got louder inside the White House press corps. The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) issued a rare, sharply worded rebuke on Monday after learning that the Wall Street Journal has been booted from the press pool traveling with President Trump to Scotland later this week. The trip, which includes visits to Aberdeen and Turnberry from July 25 to 29, will now take place without one of America’s most prominent newspapers in tow. Why? That’s where things start to get murky—and political. Editorial Payback?…

US vice-president to spend time in England’s scenic countryside before taking his views north of the border — and they may not go down smoothly It’s a long way from the Appalachian hollers to the honey-hued villages of Gloucestershire, but JD Vance seems ready for the shift in scenery. The US vice-president is set to holiday with his family in the Cotswolds next month — a region better known for its Range Rovers and posh weekenders than political firestorms. Vance, whose rise from Rust Belt roots to political stardom has drawn both admiration and controversy, won’t be lying low for…

Heavy rain and fierce thunderstorms brought Scotland to a standstill over the weekend, triggering major travel disruption, flooding risks, and growing concerns over passenger safety across rail, road, and air. From midday Saturday to Monday morning, large parts of the country have been drenched with intense downpours. As emergency teams scramble and warnings stack up, daily life for many Scots has been turned upside down—again. Yellow Warnings Blanket the Map The UK Met Office issued multiple yellow weather warnings stretching from the Highlands to the Borders, kicking in from Saturday afternoon and sticking around through Monday. Forecasters say some places…

Scotland’s homegrown digital ID system has now entered the public testing phase, marking a big step in the country's push to modernize how people access public services—without always needing a passport. ScotAccount, a digital identity platform developed by the Scottish Government, officially launched its public beta this week. After months of quiet user research and limited trials, the tool is now open to a much wider group of users to test how smoothly it works for everyday services—from criminal record checks to debt management. From Closed Testing to Open Doors Until now, ScotAccount had mostly been kept under wraps. The…

If you're in Fort Wayne this weekend and feeling torn between paddling down the St. Marys River or stuffing your face with gouda-slathered noodles at Parkview Field — you’re not alone. This Saturday, the city’s calendar is bursting at the seams with events that range from scavenger hunts on water to culinary chaos built entirely around pasta and cheese. And while clouds may hang over the festivities (literally), locals don’t seem too concerned. Fort Wayne is used to a little weather whiplash — and as one organizer put it, “Rain just means more reason to eat faster.” A Decade of…

Deepening Dry Spell Raises Alarms Across Eastern Scotland As southern England grapples with hosepipe bans, eastern Scotland is facing its own climate reckoning. A prolonged spell of unusually dry conditions — stretching back to winter — has left rivers strained, groundwater depleted, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) warning of imminent water abstraction restrictions. The first six months of 2025 have made history as the driest start to a year in eastern Scotland since 1973. While intermittent summer showers have offered brief respite, SEPA data shows they have done little to offset months of minimal precipitation and poor snowmelt…