Oil markets lurched sharply lower today, 17 April 2026, after a dramatic shift in Middle East geopolitics removed much of the "war‑risk premium" that had been inflating prices for weeks. Brent crude plunged by around 10-11%, falling to roughly $88–$89 per barrel, its lowest level in nearly five weeks.
Police Scotland Crime Prevention Officers continue to see a rise in fuel thefts across all areas of the country. Much of this can be attributed to the recent in fuel prices and speculation about potential fuel shortages.
The last parliamentary term of the Scottish Government was marked by a mix of notable achievements and significant challenges. This article combines thirty key successes with thirty notable failures to provide a comprehensive perspective on the government's performance, especially in relation to the Highlands and rural communities.
When the Strait of Hormuz first closed in March and oil hit US$120 a barrel, a very old question came back: is this finally the moment electric vehicles take off for good or just another false start?. EVs have been here before.
When the UK's biggest private car park company went into administration last month, some motorists might have been surprised. How could National Car Parks (NCP), a company that charged so much for parking, at so many prime sites across the country, run out of road?.
Robots, not people, could respond to future high-risk incidents following the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory's recent testing. Chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) substances can pose a significant risk to public health, especially in confined spaces which concentrate vapours and spills.
There was a moment—not long ago, though it now feels like a strange fever dream—when eggs became the most controversial objects in the United Kingdom and the United States. Not oil.
Administrators have today revealed that 59 firms across Aberdeen and the north‑east are owed nearly £2.4 million following the collapse of BrewDog, which entered administration last month with debts exceeding £550 million. The full creditor list includes a mix of major suppliers, councils, and small local businesses.
For years, politicians have insisted that work is the best route out of poverty. But in modern Britain, work increasingly comes with a footnote: "Terms and conditions apply and may require government subsidy." The UK now has millions of people in jobs that simply don't pay enough to live on and instead of employers raising wages, the state steps in with Universal Credit, Housing Support, Council Tax Reduction, and a patchwork of top‑ups.
For years we've been told that Britain is a "high‑tax country", that the burden is crushing the wealthy, and that the nation's prosperity depends on easing the load at the top. But when you stop looking at headline income tax rates and start counting all the taxes people actually pays income tax, National Insurance, VAT, council tax, fuel duty, alcohol duty, and the rest.
Royal Mail has confirmed that Saturday deliveries for second‑class post are being phased out, with full national rollout expected by December 2026 — a seasonal gift nobody asked for. Under the new model, second‑class letters and bulk business mail will no longer arrive on Saturdays.
Sovereign AI is the UK's £500 million bet to back homegrown AI founders, drive growth and create jobs across the UK. Sovereign AI is the UK's £500 million bet to back homegrown AI founders, drive growth and create jobs across the UK AI is the most important technology of our era.
Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have propelled drones into the headlines. The word "drone" now stretches to cover everything from hobbyist camera rigs available on Amazon to the Predator and Reaper systems the United States has relied on to fight terrorist organizations over the past 20 years.
The core premise of feminism is this: women can do anything. And yes, these days in developed economies, women without children earn about the same as men.
In March, the UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper made a statement to parliament setting out the government's international aid priorities. With an aid budget significantly smaller than it was five years ago, Cooper proposed which countries and programmes would receive support.
"Welcome bonus: get 150% up to £150 on your first deposit". It's the kind of offer that greets anyone who visits a British online betting site but what it doesn't say is that if you decide to spend £50 on this offer, you'd need to stake an additional £750 of your own money before any winnings could be withdrawn.
In both the United Kingdom and the United States, political leaders have recently suggested that major companies in oil and fertiliser markets may be engaging in price gouging. The accusation is powerful as it implies that corporations are exploiting global instability to inflate profits at the expense of households and farmers.
Aberdeen is entering another wave of job losses just as the UK faces the most serious energy‑security warnings since the 1970s. Spirit Energy's plan to cut around 100 jobs is only the latest in a cascade of reductions across the North Sea sector.
More than 1,000 jobs have been secured through a new contract to help sustain Army Apache and RAF Chinook helicopters. £879 million contract awarded to Boeing Defence UK to keep the British Army Apache and RAF Chinook helicopters mission-ready.
In early 2026, regional carrier Loganair quietly made aviation history with a series of real world electric aircraft trials across Scotland linking key regional airports including Wick Airport. Unlike previous test flights that stayed firmly in the realm of demonstration, this programme was designed to mimic actual airline operations, offering a glimpse into how electric aviation could soon become part of everyday travel.