The Highland Council has published its Access Ranger Annual Report for 2025, highlighting the extensive work carried out by the Ranger team across the area between June and October 2025. The report provides a detailed overview of patrol activity, visitor behaviour trends, and the ongoing challenges facing some of the Highland's most visited rural areas.
On average, students now leave university with just over £50,000 in student loan debt. Repayments are income-contingent: many graduates will repay little or nothing, while others repay 9% of their income above a threshold for decades, often watching the outstanding balance rise.
Prof Steve Keen explains the history of the economic system and where we are now..
There have been recent reports of scam emails which impersonate antivirus providers such as McAfee, AVG and Norton. This week, one consumer received an email that appeared to be from McAfee and said their name had appeared on the dark web.
Border Force and police seizures of ketamine and cannabis at all-time high and Border Force ramps up the return of foreign smugglers. Seizures of ketamine, cannabis and nitrous oxide are at an all-time high following a record-breaking year of interceptions by Border Force and police.
Foreign actors will no longer be able to use their money to interfere in the UK's elections, as part of the biggest expansion of democratic participation in a generation. New rules, set out in the Representation of the People Bill introduced today, will provide greater transparency and security around political donations, alongside extending voting rights in all UK elections to 16- and 17-year-olds.
ScotRail fares will be frozen for the next year to keep money in people's pockets, First Minister John Swinney has announced. The First Minister said this is part of the government’s resolute focus on the cost of living, and follows the abolition of peak fares which cut costs by as much as 48%.
This weekly bulletin brings together the latest surveillance data, along with the latest public health advice for flu, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other viruses. The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency shows norovirus cases remain high but are now starting to stabilise.
New half a billion pound package of air defence for Ukraine, including £150 million for NATO PURL, and additional 1,000 UK-manufactured missiles. The UK has announced it will urgently provide new air defence missiles and systems worth over £500 million to protect Ukraine from Putin's brutal attacks on energy sites and homes, as the Defence Secretary co-chairs the 33rd meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (12th February 2026) at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Hundreds of school leaders will benefit from extra training opportunities to further develop their leadership skills, helping to improve job satisfaction and bring benefits to the schools where they work. The Scottish Government is contributing £400,000 to the Head Teacher Leadership Academy (HTLA), run by Columba 1400, with the Hunter Foundation matching this with an additional £400,000.
People looking for a career in the Armed Forces will receive advice directly from military personnel in their local jobcentre, under new plans to boost military recruitment. Partnership between Ministry of Defence and Department for Work and Pensions will boost Armed Forces training and careers.
UK Total retail sales increased by 2.7% year on year in January, against a growth of 2.6% in January 2025. This was above the 12-month average growth of 2.3%.
The Finance Secretary has welcomed Scottish Liberal Democrats support for the Scottish Government's 2026-27 Budget. Investment will be brought forward to update the Budget in a number of areas, including: A further £2.9 million for the hospice sector, to delivery pay parity for staff with the NHS Agenda for Change.
GDP growth slowed to a disappointing 0.1 per cent in the last quarter of 2025, continuing the UK's recent pattern of weak second half performances. And while 2025 as a whole was a decent year for growth, today’s figures show that the Government must double down on its growth agenda to build momentum in 2026, the Resolution Foundation said on Thursday.
Review will examine digital shifts, market trends and emerging technologies including use of AI. Government is committed to helping UK radio to thrive and retain status as most trusted form of media, amid changing listener habits.
For the UK after Brexit, it is tempting to imagine that regulation no longer comes from Brussels. Yet one of the most significant pieces of digital legislation anywhere in the world - the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act - is now coming into force, and its effects will reach UK companies, regulators and citizens.
For decades, the far north of Scotland has lived with a familiar story. Industries rise, industries fall, and communities are left to absorb the shock.
A Thurso man has been hit with a £12,327 civil penalty after environmental officers uncovered a large‑scale illegal waste dumping operation on land near the town. James Beresford, of Thurso, was found to have repeatedly deposited controlled waste on a site at Weydale between March 2020 and May 2021, during the height of the Covid‑19 lockdowns.
Major telecoms providers sign new charter to end unexpected mid-contract price rises and make social tariffs easier to access, helping millions manage living costs. major broadband and mobile providers pledge to stop unexpected bill increases under new Telecoms.
The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee has today (Thursday 12 February 2026) approved a Local Transport Delivery Plan that will support the Highland Local Transport Strategy 2025-2035 in future policy for all modes of transport across the region. The Delivery Plan sets out how the vision will be achieved and includes priority actions that will guide how the Council maintains, manages, and improves the transport system across Highland over the next decade.