No one remembers the names of the soldiers who arrested Jesus, or the civil servants who organised his crucifixion. But Judas Iscariot has not been forgotten, and will forever be associated with treachery and betrayal.
Scotland's capacity for electricity generation from renewable sources increased by 10% within a year, with the largest growth coming in offshore and onshore wind installations. New figures for 2023 show Scotland continues to generate more electricity than it uses, with net exports to other UK nations worth an estimated £1.5 billion thanks to record production levels in the second half of the year.
In the latest figures on UK house prices, new builds are particularly eye-catching. The price for such homes has increased by 17% in the past year, while the average price for existing homes cooled by 2.4%.
Generative AI - technology such as ChatGPT that creates content when prompted - is affecting how solicitors, judges and barristers work. It's also likely to change the work they are being asked to do.
New measures to simplify the planning process for zero and low carbon technologies will help homeowners and businesses save money and reduce their emissions. Permitted development rights grant permission for certain developments through legislation, meaning they can be undertaken without a planning application.
All public sector use of Artificial Intelligence to be registered. Scotland is to become the first part of the UK to make it mandatory to register any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the public sector.
Prussian general and military theorist Carl von Clausewitz presented the concept of the "fog of war" in 1832. It is a phrase that has become synonymous with the uncertainty and confusion of military battle.
A new report on climate risk, co-authored by a GAD actuary, is based on the latest climate research. It was a collaboration between actuaries and scientists.
Provisional data shows UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions fell further across several key sectors between 2022 and 2023. UK greenhouse gas emissions continue to fall, UK now half way to net zero as emissions have been cut by 53% between 1990 and 2023 or 50% when including emissions from international aviation and shipping.
Economic data in early 2024 is showing that the economy is likely to be recovering hesitantly as expected, following the contractions in growth in the final part of 2023. This comes in the latest economic assessment from the Fraser of Allander Institute at Strathclyde University.
Statement By Lord Thurso, VisitScotland Chair. I have been Chair of VisitScotland for eight years and in that period we've seen huge changes to the way people access their travel information, not to mention advances in technology and shifts in the economic landscape.
This year's minimum wage uprating is large: roughly 1.6 million workers stand to benefit directly on 1 April when the adult rate rises to £11.44 - giving a cash increase of 9.8 per cent and a real-terms increase of 7.8 per cent. These are the third largest annual increases in the minimum wage's history.
Superchef Gary Maclean has urged people to check whether they may be newly-qualified for a benefit which helps with the cost of buying healthy food, milk and first infant formula. Best Start Foods is up to £39.60 via a pre-paid chip and pin card every four weeks to spend on food from pregnancy until a child turns three.
Moray Council must accelerate plans to transform how it works and delivers services, demonstrating it can sustain the pace and momentum to change. In a new report, the Accounts Commission says the council has been told in repeated reviews over the past 18 years that while it has made improvements, these have not been fast enough.
A 2023 study on the British public's satisfaction with the NHS and social care services, and their views on NHS priorities, principles and funding from The Kings Fund. This report draws upon responses to the latest British Social Attitudes survey to explore public satisfaction with the NHS and social care.
The introduction of the minimum wage in the UK in 1999 is the single most successful economic policy in a generation, raising the pay of the nation's lowest paid workers by £6,000 a year compared to their earnings simply rising in line with typical wages, according to new Resolution Foundation analysis published today (Wednesday). Happy 25th birthday to the minimum wage examines how the introduction of the minimum wage in April 1999 has affected low-paid workers in the UK over the past 25 years.
New legislation which aims to keep people in their homes and help prevent homelessness has been published. The Housing (Scotland) Bill will introduce an ‘ask and act' duty on social landlords and bodies, such as health boards and the police, to ask about a person's housing situation and act to avoid them becoming homeless wherever possible.
UK gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have fallen by an unrevised 0.3% in Quarter 4 (Oct to Dec) 2023, following an unrevised fall of 0.1% in the previous quarter. The economy decreased for two consecutive quarters, while GDP for 2023 as a whole is estimated to have increased by an unrevised 0.1% compared with 2022.
The beginning of April brings a new tax year, and a flurry of tax, benefit and pay policy changes coming into effect. Benefit levels are finally returning to their pre-pandemic levels after a difficult few years.
The Highland Council is delighted to confirm a highly successful second year for Public Service Obligation (PSO) flights between Wick and Aberdeen. The period from April 2023 to March 2024 has seen a substantial increase in passenger numbers, with several months seeing over 1,000 passengers using the service, and overall the service has seen year on year growth of 25%.
