An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) was declared across the whole of Scotland on 25 January 2025. This zone introduces strict biosecurity measures for all bird keepers - including those who keep pet birds - to help prevent the spread of avian influenza from wild birds or any other source.
A UK aerospace company is set to land the first European rover on the red planet, as it wins £150 million to complete the touchdown system delivering the rover safely to Mars. Airbus UK wins European contract to engineer landing platform that will safely deliver rover on Mars.
The latest Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data for 2023-24 suggests that rates of relative child poverty, food insecurity and absolute poverty have all risen for the third year in a row. This puts further pressure on the Government to deliver an ambitious promised Child Poverty Strategy, the Resolution Foundation said.
The heirs and great-grandchildren of Jewish Belgian art collector Samuel Hartveld are set to receive a painting by Henry Gibbs currently in the collection of the Tate. Hartveld and his wife fled Belgium prior to the German occupation during the Second World War, leaving behind their most treasured possessions The heirs and great-grandchildren of Jewish Belgian art collector Samuel Hartveld are set to be reunited with a painting that was looted by the Nazis when he fled his home city of Antwerp during the Second World War in May 1940.
Five airlines have offered commitments to resolve the CMA's competition concerns over their agreement to cooperate on passenger routes between the UK and US. Five well-known airlines - British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, American Airlines, and Finnair – together form the Atlantic Joint Business Agreement, where members agree on key business decisions including prices and schedules.
Highland Council have agreed to boost senior councillor pay by between £5-11k this year. The move adds almost £500k to the councillor wage bill, bringing it to a new total of £2.3 million.
The world's first artificial satellite, the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1, was launched in October 1957. Just three months later, it fell out of orbit.
Rachel Reeves' Spring Statement either doesn't add up, or it reveals a deeply dangerous economic policy, and it may do both. .
New statistics show that child poverty in Scotland has fallen, in contrast to the rest of the UK. Annual statistics published today show that compared with the previous year's statistics, relative child poverty in 2023-24 reduced from 26% to 22% in Scotland while absolute child poverty fell from 23% to 17%.
Third cohort of semiconductor start-ups backed by government to drive economic growth. A third cohort of innovative UK semiconductor businesses are chosen to join ChipStart, to continue driving economic growth and creating high-skilled jobs under the Plan for Change.
The latest statistics cover the period up to March 2024 and three-year averages for levels of relative and absolute poverty show a broadly stable trend over the past decade for children, working age adults and pensioners. Three-year average results show that: Working-age adults and pensioners are less likely to be in poverty compared to children: 20% of working-age adults and 15% of pensioners are in relative poverty after housing costs, compared to 23% of children.
HMRC interest rates for late payments will be increased by 1.5% for all taxes from 6 April 2025. The HMRC interest rates for late payments will be increased by 1.5% for all taxes from 6 April 2025 following a change in legislation.
The spring statement is supposed to be a boring affair. But these days fiscal events seem to carry more weight, with global events making life difficult for UK finances.
Scottish Secretary welcomes Chancellor's £2.2billion defence budget boost to create more jobs and opportunities in the sector as part of Plan for Change. Chancellor Rachel Reeves this week pledged a new era of security and national renewal as she delivered a Spring Statement to kickstart economic growth, protect working people and keep Britain safe.
AI Accelerator Programme will enable participants to work on projects across several government departments. This will include justice, health, and transport, to improve public services, drive efficiencies, and support the Government's broader Plan for Change.
A transformational technology that uses microwaves to defrost and ultrasound to break down contaminants in melted lunar ice to provide clean, drinkable water for astronauts has won the UK Space Agency-funded Aqualunar Challenge. The Aqualunar Challenge is an international prize for technologies to purify ice frozen in the Moon's soil to make human habitation on the lunar surface possible.
A Scottish Government agreement with GPs to improve general practice has failed to deliver on several of its commitments. The 2018 General Medical Service (GMS) contract aimed to address the financial pressures and growing workloads facing GPs, and to improve patients' access to care.
Community health and social care finances are increasingly precarious. Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) must urgently work with their partners in the NHS and councils to reform how they deliver services to achieve financial sustainability.
The Business and Trade Committee yesterday took the unusual step of asking the Government to ‘reflect and revise' its response to its January 1st report on finally achieving long-delayed justice and redress for victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal. It has been described as the greatest miscarriage of justice in UK history.
Chancellor vows to bring about "new era of security and national renewal" as she delivered a Spring Statement to kickstart economic growth, protect working people and keep Britain safe. People to be on average £500 a year better off by the end of this parliament compared to under the previous government, putting more money in people's pockets.
