There is a tendency whenever artificial intelligence is discussed to imagine that a revolution is already happening. Jobs are supposedly disappearing, businesses are being transformed and computers are increasingly doing the work that people once did.
The oil price has become one of those numbers that seems to move relentlessly in one direction. Brent crude is now around $94 a barrel, having risen by more than 7% over the past five days.
When comparing mortgages, it is very easy to be drawn towards the lowest interest rate. A mortgage advertised at 4.25% immediately looks better than one at 4.49%.
There are some stories which begin with something happening thousands of miles away and eventually arrive at the supermarket checkout. El Niño could become one of them.
Britain has spent hundreds of millions of pounds trying to stop small boats crossing the English Channel. The latest agreement with France is worth £662 million over three years, with £501 million going towards strengthening existing controls in northern France and a further £161 million for new tactics.
There are weeks when the local news seems to consist of a collection of unrelated announcements. A council by-election here, an airport funding decision there, another report about housing, perhaps a development connected with energy or tourism.
Britain's public finances are showing signs of improvement. But before anyone starts celebrating, there is a rather large qualification.
Britain's shoppers appear to be in better shape than the latest monthly headline might suggest. Retail sales volumes fell by 0.5% in July, according to the latest Office for National Statistics figures.
The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee has endorsed plans to launch a 12-week public consultation on a proposed Highland Bus Service Improvement Partnership (BSIP), giving communities, passengers and stakeholders the opportunity to help shape the future of bus services across the region. The consultation will seek views on draft proposals developed by The Highland Council in partnership with HITRANS and bus operators to improve the operational performance, accessibility, attractiveness and consistency of bus services across Highland.
Donald Trump has given his latest confrontation with Iran a dramatic name: “Economic D-Day.” The language is deliberately uncompromising. The American president is promising what he describes as an unprecedented campaign of economic pressure designed to isolate Iran, cut off its financial lifelines and ultimately force Tehran to change course.
Councillors have approved the launch of a public consultation on draft guidance aimed at reducing light pollution across the Highlands, supporting environmental protection, public wellbeing and the area's internationally recognised dark skies. Members of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee yesterday (Thursday 20 August) agreed to publish the draft Reducing Light Pollution: Good Practice Guidance for consultation, once minor clarifications are included, giving residents, communities, businesses and developers the opportunity to help shape future policy.
There is something slightly counter-intuitive happening in financial markets at the moment. Governments are being forced to pay more to borrow money, yet to someone looking at a headline saying that “bond yields are rising”, it can sound like good news.
The latest housing figures from the Office for National Statistics contain something of a surprise for anyone who has been following the UK property market. House price growth is slowing, while rents are beginning to accelerate again.
When the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed following the outbreak of the Iran conflict, the implications for the world oil market appeared frighteningly simple. Around a fifth of the world's oil normally passes through the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman.
There is a question I think we should be asking now, before the next round of household bills and business costs begin to bite. Are incomes actually keeping pace with the rising cost of the essentials we cannot avoid buying? At first glance, the answer might appear to be yes.
I have been looking at the latest Scottish Government labour market figures, and I think they contain a warning that is easy to miss if we concentrate only on the headline numbers. Scotland still has more than two million people in employment, wages are rising and the claimant count actually fell slightly in July.
A national programme helping Scottish companies capitalise on the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) has received funding for its second year. Backed by £1.8 million of continued funding, AI Scotland will help small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to develop new products and services, grow market share and attract new investment.
There is something slightly strange about the way we travel the North Coast 500. Put a map of Scotland in front of someone who has never travelled the far north and watch what happens.
The view from the Caithness coast raises a perfectly reasonable question about one of the most discussed consequences of climate change Walk along almost any part of the Caithness coastline and there is something rather strange about the debate over rising sea levels. We are repeatedly told that the world's oceans are rising.
For years, solar panels have been something many people associated with large roofs, expensive installations and thousands of pounds of upfront cost. That is about to change as from 27 August, new rules will allow compliant plug-in solar systems to be connected to household sockets in Great Britain.