UK Senior Military Advisor, Colonel Joby Rimmer, cites GCHQ intelligence assessments on heavy Russian losses, criticises and condemns Moscow’s refusal to engage in serious negotiations, and highlights ever increasing and unacceptable civilian casualties as a result of Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine. Mr Chair, only a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, one that safeguards its sovereignty, will deter further Russian aggression.
The Universal United Kingdom Resort, one of the largest ever investments in the UK tourism sector, will employ thousands and entertain millions of people. Comcast NBCUniversal has committed to invest over £5bn in the entertainment resort complex during the expected 5 years of construction, as well as an additional £1bn in capital investment over the first 10 years of operation.
An annual conference for the Games sector and a pilot matching film and TV producers with business angels are among new initiatives that will be supported as part of record Scottish Government investment in innovation, enterprise and entrepreneurship this year. A total of 44 projects will share £1.75 million through the Scottish Government’s Ecosystem Fund to help entrepreneurs and businesses emerge and grow.
With the PetroJarl Rosebank having left its dry dock in Norway last Saturday and arrived on location west of Shetland, an important major new peer-reviewed study underlines the importance of the area for extending the life of the UK's oil and gas sector. It is economically, environmentally, and strategically beneficial for the UK to prioritise domestic oil and gas production rather than increasing reliance on imports, according to new findings from researchers at the University of Aberdeen.
Labour says it wants to build new towns. But if Rachel Reeves funds them through PFI-style private finance, those towns could be financially crippled from the start.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper arrives in India on her first official visit to the country. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will meet External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to review delivery under Vision 2035.
The US House passed a war powers resolution 215-208 on 3 June 2026 but it appears unlikely to go further as President Trump can veto it. As the price of petrol/Gas is almost $5 a gallon how long can h hold out before paying attention to the voters problems in that context.
Loganair is cutting back several routes in 2026, including reducing flights on key Scottish Highland and Island routes (Inverness to Kirkwall/Sumburgh/Stornoway) from mid-July. Additionally, they are axing the Dundee to London Heathrow service in September and reducing frequencies on routes like Newcastle-Southampton, driven by the need for operational stability and financial sustainability.
Last week marked the start of patrols for The Highland Council’s 2026 Seasonal Access Rangers team, a dedicated group working to promote responsible enjoyment of the Highlands natural environment. Funded by The Highland Council, the team will play a key role in supporting visitors and local communities.
the emergency and strategic oil stocks that governments have been releasing since the Hormuz disruption, the answer is they do not suddenly "run out" on one particular day, but the market is approaching the point where the buffer becomes much less effective. A few key figures help explain the situation.
The issue is one of the biggest political and economic debates in the UK and Europe today. Consumers often ask, "If Scotland is generating lots of electricity from wind and hydro at very low operating cost, why am I still paying prices linked to expensive gas?" The answer lies in how wholesale electricity markets are designed.
On Wednesday this week (3 June) The Highland Council is aiming to take a major step forward in strengthening its support for Gaelic, recognising the linguistic, educational, historical and cultural connections which exist right across our region. Highland Council’s Gaelic Committee is to consider a recommendation to adopt a Highland‑wide designation as an Area of Linguistic Significance (ALS) for Gaelic under the Scottish Languages Act 2025.
Changes to end one-sided flexibility and uncertainty for workers through ban on exploitative zero hours contracts set out in consultation. Changes will end one-sided flexibility, help people plan their finances and daily lives, or enjoy benefits of a zero hours contract if they wish to keep one.
For households in Caithness and across the Highlands that rely on kerosene heating oil, the same broad forces affecting crude oil apply, but heating oil can sometimes behave even more dramatically than crude oil itself. The chain looks like this: Crude oil → refinery → kerosene (heating oil) → local distributor → your tank So if crude oil rises because of Middle East disruption, heating oil usually rises too.
School learning environments across Scotland will become phone free under measures announced by Education Secretary Màiri McAllan. Highlighting the damage phones can cause to pupils’ wellbeing and education, Ms McAllan confirmed forthcoming legislation to restrict their use in all of Scotland’s schools.
UK astronaut John McFall could become the first person with a physical disability to live in orbit, thanks to an agreement signed between the UK government and US commercial space company Vast. Former Paralympian John McFall could become first person with a physical disability to live in orbit through UK government partnership with US space company Vast.
New contracts worth £36 million to supply hundreds of Lightweight Multirole Missiles for UK Armed Forces. The Ministry of Defence has signed new contracts with Thales in the UK to supply hundreds more Lightweight Multirole Missiles to the Armed Forces – boosting UK stockpiles and strengthening the protection of British personnel in the Middle East and beyond.
A significant part of the reason oil prices have not exploded higher is indeed demand destruction—people and businesses using less oil because prices rose and economic conditions weakened. But it is only one part of the story.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has delivered a stark warning to Scotland's newly elected government: the easy choices have largely run out. The next few years will force ministers to confront a difficult reality of either raising taxes, cutting spending, or abandoning some of the promises made during the Holyrood election campaign.
Three weeks ago, I warned that the war involving Iran could trigger a seven-stage economic crisis. Today, I think that risk is much greater than it was then.