Jacob Farr

Bryan Weir, a 37-year-old Hearts supporter and father of one, died on August 7 after battling brain cancer for just over a year. His family is asking Hearts fans to hold a minute's applause in the 37th minute of the club's Europa League qualifier against Benfica at Tynecastle. Weir was widely involved in amateur football, co-founded the Packers of Scotland community, and was remembered as a devoted family man and courageous friend. A fundraiser supporting his family and raising brain-cancer awareness has collected about £17,000.

Residents in Pavilion Court, Penicuik, gathered for a second consecutive day to protest the alleged placement of a sex offender nearby. Police Scotland attended the first gathering on 26 July and said the crowd later dispersed; footage from the following day's protest shows officers restraining a demonstrator. Residents want the individual removed, citing concerns about community safety.

A 43‑year‑old man was found seriously injured in a garden on Whitson Road in Edinburgh and taken to the Royal Infirmary in serious but stable condition. Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service responded to the incident, erected cordons in the area, and launched an investigation. Officers continue to examine the circumstances and have appealed for information from the public.

Two men aged 29 and 56 were charged after a stolen car was allegedly used in a ram-raid attempt on a Co-op store in Gullane, East Lothian. The vehicle had been taken during a housebreaking in Haddington before being used in a second break-in attempt where nothing was stolen. Police later recovered the car in Musselburgh, and both men were released on an undertaking to appear in Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

A bin lorry fire in Rosewell prompted an emergency response after workers heard a loud bang and saw smoke coming from the vehicle, with Midlothian Council warning that crushed batteries, gas canisters or disposable vapes may have caused the ignition. Officials urged residents not to place such items in household bins due to the risk of sudden fires. Firefighters extinguished the blaze without injuries, and additional vehicles completed the collection route. A separate incident in Aberdeen saw a woman sustain minor burns after a portable battery exploded in a cinema.

Emergency services responded to a reported hazardous material incident at a home in Bonnyrigg, where a man became unwell and was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Police Scotland investigated and confirmed the substance was not hazardous and posed no risk to the public.

Ryanair denied refunding two children’s flights after their father, Andy Ure, died five weeks before a planned trip to Milan, citing a policy that only allows travel credit when a passenger or immediate family member dies within ten days of departure. Their mother, Kirsty Mitchell, criticised the policy because the children were unable to travel alone due to age restrictions. The airline refunded only the father’s ticket, prompting frustration over what was described as an illogical and insensitive bereavement policy.