Britain had just received some genuinely encouraging inflation news. Then oil prices started rising again — threatening to undo some of the progress that had taken so long to achieve.
The Bank of England has been trying to bring interest rates down while keeping inflation under control. The latest oil-price shock could make that balancing act considerably more difficult.
A bargain charger can look harmless, but some of the cheapest electrical products sold online can carry a potentially serious risk of electric shock or fire. Modern homes contain an ever-growing collection of devices that need charging: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, smart watches, wireless headphones, power banks and, increasingly, e-bikes and e-scooters.
Giving people more of their own earnings to spend sounds attractive. But there is an unavoidable question behind any proposal to increase the Personal Allowance: where does the money come from? That question becomes particularly important if the allowance were increased substantially from its current £12,570.
Caithness at the Centre of Scotland’s Electricity Revolution: The Transformation Happening Around Us Look across Caithness today and it is easy to see individual electricity projects – a new substation here, a cable route there, construction work around Dounreay or Spittal. But put them together and a much bigger picture emerges.
A major piece of underground engineering at Dounreay has been completed, bringing the Orkney electricity link another step closer to reality and putting Caithness at the centre of a project designed to unlock hundreds of megawatts of renewable energy. SSEN Transmission has announced the successful completion of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) at Dounreay, describing it as a major milestone in the construction of the Orkney Link.
Drilling operations are now underway at Rattray Head, near Peterhead, marking a major construction milestone for our Spittal to Peterhead High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) project. The works, which began this month, represent the start of one of the most technically complex elements of the project, with specialist contractors carrying out Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) beneath the coastline to create the vital connection between onshore and offshore infrastructure.
Ukraine's increasingly deep attacks on Russian oil infrastructure may be developing into something much more significant than a military campaign against refineries. If the attacks begin to seriously disrupt Russia's ability to produce, refine and export oil, they could become an economic weapon aimed directly at one of Moscow's most important sources of war finance.
Scotland’s decision to increase its top income-tax rate to 48p was intended to raise additional money for public services. New HMRC figures are now raising an awkward question: could the policy have actually reduced the amount of tax collected? The headline figure doing the rounds is £22 million.
Reducing long waits for NHS treatment in Scotland is the focus of the government’s new £90 million investment in planned care. First Minister John Swinney said substantial progress had been made in the past year but the government remains focused on accelerating delivery to eradicate long waits for good.
Maternity Issues are never far from the headlines. A discussion podcast highlights some of the issues.
Oil Price Falls Again: How Far Could Brent Crude Go? The oil price has gone from $100 a barrel to around $88 in remarkably short order. The big question now is whether this is simply a correction — or the beginning of a much larger fall.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday with more cards in his hand to try and secure further US support against Russia. Ukrainian forces have been striking oil refineries, fuel infrastructure, military-industrial facilities and logistics targets deep inside Russia.
Statement by Ambassador Kate Foster, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine. As we have heard today, Russia continues to escalate in its violence against Ukraine.
Dstl worked with the Army, industry and allies to test drone technology and develop AI capabilities for future battlefield operations. Modern battlefields are evolving rapidly, with a key challenge being uncrewed aerial systems (drones) that can disrupt operations or threaten forces, as seen in Ukraine.
Oil Price Falls Sharply: Is the Fuel Shock Finally Beginning to Ease? The oil price has taken a sharp turn lower today, offering some welcome relief after Brent crude recently pushed through the $100-a-barrel mark. Brent fell as much as around 9.5% during Monday's trading before recovering somewhat, and was around $91 a barrel later in the day.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband to act as UK Governor to the World Bank. Ed Miliband to act as UK Governor to the World Bank, taking personal leadership of the UK’s engagement on development and climate finance.
Details on changes to the machinery of government. The Prime Minister has made a number of changes to the machinery of government to rewire the state, change the geography of government to deliver a stronger, more strategic centre that empowers local leaders, and acts as the engine room for driving economic growth across the whole country.
Pension fund could be used to back the next generation of high-growth British science and technology companies. Major UK pension providers are exploring establishment of a new UK Scale-up Fund of over £1billion to back the next generation of high-growth British science and technology companies.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham hosts President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as his first international visitor. New British innovation set to bolster Ukrainian defences on the front line before being rolled out to UK long range missiles.