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Visitors urged to respect the site and use nearby facilities The Ring of Brodgar, a Neolithic stone circle and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Orkney, is facing a serious problem from human waste. Visitors who are caught short at the site are leaving behind traces of urine and faeces, which could damage the stones and the surrounding environment. The site, which dates back to around 2500 BC, is one of the largest and most impressive stone circles in Britain. It consists of 27 standing stones, some over four metres high, arranged in a circle of 104 metres in diameter. The…

A German tourist was killed and a British man was among those wounded in a knife attack in Paris on Sunday night. The assailant, who was shot dead by police, is believed to have been suffering from mental health issues. The attack The attack took place around 8:30 pm local time near the Eiffel Tower, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. According to witnesses, the attacker was shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is great) and randomly stabbing people on the street. He was armed with a kitchen knife and a pair of scissors. The German tourist, a 40-year-old woman, was stabbed…

Operation Venetic targets serious organised crime groups Police Scotland has seized drugs worth millions of pounds as part of a UK-wide operation to disrupt serious organised crime groups. The operation, codenamed Venetic, involved the interception of encrypted messages sent by criminals using a platform called EncroChat. According to Police Scotland, more than 100 people have been arrested and charged in connection with the operation, which began in June 2020 and is still ongoing. The police have also recovered drugs such as heroin, cocaine, cannabis, MDMA and ketamine, as well as firearms, ammunition, cash and other assets. The operation is a joint effort…

Scotland is facing another day of snow and ice as the wintry weather continues to cause disruption across the country. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice in eastern Scotland from 5pm on Sunday to 12pm on Monday. Travel chaos and school closures The warning covers parts of Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Stirling and the Lothians. It advises that some roads and railways may be affected by snow, leading to longer journey times by car, bus and train. Some rural communities could become cut off and power cuts may occur. The Scottish Government…

Cosla warns of bankruptcy risk in funding plea The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) has warned that some councils may face bankruptcy if the Scottish Government does not provide adequate funding in the upcoming budget. Cosla, which represents all 32 local authorities in Scotland, has made a funding plea ahead of the Scottish Budget on December 14, 2023. It has asked for a £1.5bn increase in core funding, as well as additional resources to cover Covid-19 costs and other pressures. Cosla president Alison Evison said that local services were “at breaking point” and that councils had been “starved of…

Christmas is a time of joy and celebration, but it can also be a time of temptation and impulse. Many people may be tempted to buy a cute puppy as a gift for their loved ones, but they may not realise the consequences of their actions. Buying a Christmas puppy could not only harm the animal, but also fund organised criminal networks that exploit dogs and people. The dark side of the puppy trade According to the Scottish SPCA, the demand for puppies has increased dramatically during the pandemic, as people seek companionship and comfort. However, this has also created…