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Today

The Highlands Cannot Wait for AI to Happen to It

A Policy Blueprint for Building a Northern Digital Workforce Before the Window Closes”.   The global race for artificial intelligence investment is accelerating.  

Today

Let’s Stop Pretending: The Treasury Is Raiding Pensions - Quietly, Systematically, and Hoping No One Notices

For months now, ministers have insisted that talk of “pension raids” is nothing more than online noise.   They say the government is committed to protecting pensioners, that the triple lock is safe, that no one is coming for people’s retirement savings.  

Today

Chancellor’s Fiscal Buffer Shrinks as Pension Tax Rumours Intensify

The Chancellor’s already‑tight fiscal headroom has been “seriously eroded”, according to senior economic analysts, prompting renewed speculation that the Treasury may turn to pension‑related tax measures to plug the gap.   Independent forecasts suggest that between £12 billion and £16 billion of the Chancellor’s fiscal buffer has disappeared due to weaker‑than‑expected growth, higher borrowing costs, and the ongoing freeze in tax thresholds.  

Today : Advisory / Counseling Services

 
Argyll firm secures funding for halibut farming commercial development project

Otter Ferry Seafish Ltd is aiming to demonstrate that juvenile halibut can be grown successfully and commercially in sea cages in Scottish waters.   A £97,400 aquaculture research and development project in Argyll, is aiming to demonstrate that juvenile halibut can be grown successfully and commercially in sea cages in Scottish waters.  

Today

AI career anxiety is rising faster than job losses

Chris Rea, Prospects at Jisc, discusses their new report showing a disconnect between young people's perceptions and AI's real impact on work and jobs.   AI is already having a significant impact on how young people approach their careers.  

Today

Iran war finally caught up with e-commerce in April, as the value of online sales tumbled 2.3%

Retail sales weren't impacted by the conflict in Iran in March, but suffered a 1.3% fall in sales volumes in April.  E-commerce was particularly badly hit by last month’s fall in consumer confidence.  

Today

US Attacks Again Bring Volatility Again To Oil Market

The latest swings in global oil prices show just how fragile the international energy market has become as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to collide with attempts at diplomacy.   Although peace negotiations are still taking place behind the scenes through Gulf mediators, military action has once again returned to the centre of events after the United States carried out strikes against Iranian-linked targets near the Strait of Hormuz.  

Today

Following Embezzlement By Peter Murrel of SNP Funds All Organisations Large And Small should Review Their Procedures

The case involving Peter Murrell has become a wider warning about governance, oversight and concentration of power inside organisations.   While the legal details are specific to that case, the broader lesson applies equally to businesses, charities, political parties, community trusts, sports clubs and voluntary organisations: no organisation should ever rely purely on trust, loyalty or personal reputation when handling money.  

Today

 
Net migration and asylum claims have fallen – here’s what the latest figures tell us

The latest figures on immigration to the UK show a sharp decline in net migration, which is now at its lowest point since 2012, excluding the pandemic years.   Data released by the Office for National Statistics and the Home Office covers the most recent changes in visas, small boat arrivals, asylum hotel use and overall migration levels.  

Today

 
What if the national debt is really the nation's savings? Doesn't that change everything? - Richard Murphy

What if the national debt is not a burden at all? What if it is simply the nation’s savings? Any sensible analysis shows that this so-called debt is no such thing: it's just a massive savings bank operation.   That sounds like a contradiction, but it is not.  

Today

UK Markets and Housing: Are We Nearing a Peak or Just Another Cycle?

Concerns about whether financial markets are reaching a peak and moving toward a crash are resurfacing again, particularly as valuations remain elevated in parts of global equities and interest rates have reset after a long period of cheap money.   But the UK picture is more nuanced than a simple “bubble or bust” narrative.  

Yesterday

 
Top Economist: The Unthinkable Is About to Happen to the World Economy - Prof Steve Keen

Donald Trump has made the biggest mistake in provoking a war with Iran.  Steve Keen has been proved correct on many aspects of economy for many years.  

Yesterday

 
Why are the rich still partying as an economic crisis approaches? - Richard Murphy

Oil prices are under threat.  Food supplies are becoming more fragile.  

Yesterday

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has now pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has now pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the Scottish National Party over a period stretching from 2010 to 2023.  The case was part of the long-running Police Scotland investigation known as “Operation Branchform.” How much money was involved? Originally prosecutors alleged about: £459,046 had been embezzled.  

Yesterday

Oil Price Drops Slightly As Optimism Rises For An End To Iran Conflict

The main reason oil prices appear to have dropped today is growing market optimism that tensions between the United States and Iran may ease, reducing fears of a prolonged disruption to Middle East oil supplies.  The question is whether the current talks lead to a solid agreement.  

Yesterday

Scottish Pig Industry In Trouble As Some Farmers Leave The Industry

Farmers in Scotland’s pig industry are facing a combination of financial, processing, disease-control and market pressures, and farming organisations are now openly calling for help and intervention from the Scottish Government.   There is currently an over supply of pig meat in Europe affecting prices.  

Yesterday

The World Bank report State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2025/2026 - Highland Council and Scottish Government

The World Bank report State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2025/2026 says carbon trading and carbon taxes are becoming a major part of the global economy.  Governments are increasingly using them both to cut emissions and raise money.  

Yesterday

Should The Government Simplify Directing Everyone To The Cheapest Energy Prices

A lot of people ask exactly that question, and on the surface it seems logical.  If one company is cheapest, why not simply have the government publish the answer and let everyone switch automatically?.  

Yesterday

People Are Drinking Less Alcohol Than A Few Years Ago

The IWSR (International Wine and Spirits Research) has been consistently reporting a structural slowdown in global alcohol consumption growth, but it’s not a simple story of “everyone drinking less”.  It’s more about how, what, and why people drink changing.  

Yesterday

Cosumer Confidence in USA Has Dropped But How Do Prices In UK and EU Compare To Them

U.S.  consumer confidence is dropping because Americans are being hit by persistent high prices, geopolitical shocks, tariffs, and a sense that inflation never really went away even though official inflation rates have cooled.