The Chancellor John Healey will anounce the UK budget on 28 October 2026. Bill has dived into some places to see what would help Caithness and other rural areas.
Supermarket bargains are tempting, but smaller bars, higher prices and changing recipes mean shoppers need to look beyond the special offer. Chocolate used to be one of life's affordable little pleasures.
Caithness has had a week of important developments, with public transport, major energy investment, local democracy and emergency services all featuring in the news. Some of the stories bring welcome news, particularly for local jobs and infrastructure.
Lidl is blending beef with pea protein to cut costs and boost protein claims. But are shoppers getting a better deal, or simply buying less beef? There is a new twist in the supermarket price war, and it is hiding in a packet of minced beef.
The Prime Minister spoke with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine yesterday 10 October 2026. The Prime Minister spoke with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine.
New taskforce will strengthen oversight of flood and drought resilience and champion the voices of communities. A new Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce will be launched this week, to champion community voices and strengthen the nation’s ability to plan for and respond to extreme weather.
Training opportunities for school leaders will continue to be supported by the Scottish Government helping develop leadership skills, improve job satisfaction and benefit pupils and staff. The Scottish Government is providing £395,000 to the Head Teachers' Leadership Academies (HTLA), run by Columba 1400, which will be matched by the Hunter Foundation.
A new survey finds that businesses want reform of business rates, while concerns about costs and government policy continue to hold back confidence. The Scottish Government has an opportunity to improve its relationship with businesses when it sets out its next Budget, according to a new report from the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde.
Inflation means that prices are rising, but knowing the inflation rate does not tell us why prices are going up. In this Understanding Economics video, I argue that identifying the cause of inflation is essential if we are going to choose the right policy to tackle it.
We keep returning to this topic recently as it may affect anyone with credit cards, loans or mortgages so making decision to increase these debts could be crucial. Higher government borrowing costs could mean higher taxes, tighter public spending and more expensive mortgages.
With mortgage rates back around 6% and government borrowing costs under pressure, homebuyers face an uncomfortable question: buy now, wait for a better deal, or risk taking on a debt that could become difficult to manage? Buying a home is one of the biggest financial commitments most people will make. It is also one of the easiest decisions to justify emotionally.
Britain says it will maintain sanctions on Russia, Ukraine accuses Donald Trump of helping fund Putin’s war, and Europe faces an uncomfortable question: could the search for cheaper diesel undermine the pressure intended to bring the conflict to an end? Donald Trump’s decision to open the door to Russian diesel exports has exposed a growing tension between two priorities: bringing down fuel prices and maintaining economic pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. On 9 October, the American president announced an agreement with Vladimir Putin under which Russia would supply diesel to the United States and international markets.
Donald Trump wanted the Nobel Peace Prize. He has repeatedly pointed to conflicts he says he has helped settle and argued that his record deserved international recognition.
Class sizes, teacher shortages, school buildings and the pressure on teachers reveal a more complicated picture than politicians' headline figures suggest. Protests over the state of schools in France have raised questions that parents in Scotland might recognise.
Plans for a giant artificial intelligence campus at a former nuclear power station promise billions in investment. But the scale of the electricity demand raises a difficult question: how much should Scotland commit to one development, and what will local people actually gain? Scotland could be about to host one of the largest data-centre developments in the world.
Donald Trump wants cheaper diesel. Vladimir Putin wants access to markets and the money that comes with selling Russian fuel.
Britain knows what it means to live through a long war. As Donald Trump seeks cheaper diesel through an agreement with Russia, there is a bigger question than the price at the pumps: could concessions to Vladimir Putin encourage him to continue the war in Ukraine rather than bring it to an end? Donald Trump's reported agreement to allow additional Russian diesel into international markets has opened up a debate that goes well beyond energy prices.
The Government's pension review is examining whether future retirees will have enough money to live on. The uncomfortable question is who will pay for a decent retirement, and what happens to those who cannot afford to save more.
Following our announcement in August of Interim Community Council elections, The Highland Council is today (8 October 2026) able to confirm the candidates that have been elected to serve the Latheron, Lybster and Clyth Community Council are as follows: AMIN Younes GUNN Andrew HENDERSON Donald SINCLAIR George SUTHERLAND Anne WALSH Denise The turnout was 50.72%.
Musicians, writers, artists and filmmakers are gathering in Salford to confront a question that could shape the future of the creative industries: can technology companies build fortunes from human creativity without paying the people who produced it? Artificial intelligence can write a song, produce an image, imitate a voice or generate a video in seconds. What once required years of practice, expensive equipment and hours of work can now be attempted with a few words typed into a computer.