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From searing wildfires to drought-sapped rivers and even an attempted attack on a centuries-old symbol of monarchy, this past week has seen nature, history, and justice collide across both sides of the Atlantic. Colorado Ablaze: Evacuations Ordered as Flames Threaten Parachute PARCHUTE, Colo. — A wildfire that broke out near Parachute prompted urgent evacuations Thursday evening as flames leapt across dry brushlands and forced road closures on Highway 6 between mile markers 77 and 83. As of late Thursday night, Colorado Department of Transportation officials confirmed the highway had reopened, but the danger was far from over. Dry conditions—exacerbated by…

Eight catchments remain at Moderate Scarcity while several others edge dangerously close to critical thresholds Eastern Scotland is now facing an intensifying water scarcity crisis, with several rivers approaching record-low flow levels and a growing number of catchments remaining in a prolonged state of Moderate Scarcity, according to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). In its latest weekly Water Scarcity Report, SEPA confirmed that eight major river catchments — including the Spey, Deveron, Ythan, Don (Aberdeenshire), Dee (Aberdeen), Esk, the Firth of Tay, and the Tyne (Lothian) — continue to face Moderate Scarcity, a status that has persisted in some…

The historic coronation stone, central to centuries of royal tradition, remains unharmed after a dramatic security breach in Scotland’s newest national museum. Security Breach Raises Alarm at Home of Scotland’s Most Sacred Symbol Authorities in Scotland have arrested a man accused of attempting to smash the protective glass encasing the Stone of Destiny — one of the most culturally and politically significant artifacts in Scottish history. The incident occurred at the newly reimagined Perth Museum, where the ancient stone has been on public display since its ceremonial return to Perthshire earlier this year. The suspect, identified by police as Arnaud…

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…

A technical fault led to the deletion of more than 115,000 recorded calls to Police Scotland’s 101 non-emergency line, BBC Scotland has learned. The issue—undisclosed until now—was discovered in February 2025, when it became clear that a full month’s worth of recorded conversations had not been archived as intended. The affected calls were deleted after four weeks, as per retention policy, but due to the archiving failure, they were lost permanently. Despite the scale of the deletion, police stress that public safety was never compromised, and 999 emergency calls were not affected. What went wrong? Between January and November 2024,…

In a move that’s got households fuming, Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has called out the UK Labour Government for scrapping the idea of zonal pricing — a shift that might have cut bills for thousands. Families already staring down record costs now want answers. The Promise That Never Was Energy costs in Scotland feel like a cruel joke to many. Swinney’s piece in the Daily Record didn’t mince words: Labour’s rejection of zonal pricing left a bitter taste. The SNP leader argued that Scots, living in a country rich with wind and tidal resources, shouldn’t be forking out the…

Medical leaders have fired a warning shot at the Scottish Government’s new long-term conditions framework, claiming it could ‘dilute’ vital resources for tackling one of Scotland’s biggest killers — heart disease. Open Letter Raises Alarm In an open letter to Public Health Minister Jenni Minto, 11 organisations — including the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow — said the proposals lack clear strategy. They argue the government’s idea of a broad, generalised approach for all long-term conditions risks taking focus and money away from…

Looking for a place to escape the bustle, stretch your legs and soak up something beautiful? You’d be hard-pressed to beat the Japanese Garden at Cowden — a slice of calm that’s been turning heads for more than a century. A Trailblazer’s Dream Come True Nestled in the rolling green of Clackmannanshire, this seven-acre oasis owes its roots to the vision of Ella Christie.She fell for Japan on her travels in the early 1900s and, instead of leaving it there, she brought a piece of it home. One-sentence para: And what a bold move it was. At a time when…

Fresh figures reveal assaults and threats at Scotland’s bus stations have jumped dramatically, raising concerns about youth violence and how the Scottish Government plans to get a grip on it before more lives are put at risk. Glasgow Sees Sharpest Rise Glasgow’s Buchanan Bus Station has become the epicentre for this worrying trend.In just a year, police call outs for assaults there rose by a staggering 85% — from 20 in 2023-24 to 37 in 2024-25. One line: Threats also went up by half in the city. The numbers were obtained by the Scottish Conservatives through freedom of information laws.…

Britain’s latest scorcher is finally on the way out after parts of England, Scotland and Wales all nudged 30C on Sunday — the tail end of what’s been the UK’s third heatwave of the year. Records Tumble Before Temperatures Dip Saturday was the big one — Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales all logged their hottest day of 2025 so far.By Sunday, the heat lingered but dipped slightly as cloudier skies crept in. Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire topped the charts at 30.8C. In Scotland’s Highlands, Achnagart saw 30.4C. Cardiff’s Bute Park reached 30.2C, while Castlederg in Northern Ireland hit 27.1C. One line:…