For two weeks the Strait of Hormuz — the world's most important oil chokepoint — has been effectively closed. Nearly 20% of global oil supply is disrupted.
Scotland's Chief Statistician today released the main findings of the 2024-25 Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS). The 2024-25 Scottish Crime and Justice Survey shows that most adults in Scotland (79.2%) were not victims of any crime measured by the survey.
Britain's welfare bill is set to surge by £18 billion in a single year, enough to fund a huge expansion of the armed forces, as ministers scramble to find money to strengthen the military Single year rise in welfare spending would pay for 15 warships or 250,000 extra soldiers. Britain now spending more on health benefits than defending the country.
Increased defence investment and dedication to Scottish defence industry directly supported £1.1bn in inward investment with defence firm Thales, securing and sustaining over 500 jobs. Certainty given to Scotland has boosted confidence to secure international work.
Government sets out its vision for developing a commercial fusion industry in the UK that will deliver skilled jobs, investment and growth. Britain becomes first country in the world with a clear path to commercial fusion that could ensure lasting energy security.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard, met his German counterpart in Berlin to discuss progress on jointly developing Deep Precision Strike missiles. Progress on bolstering national security for the UK and Germany made after Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard, meets German counterpart in Berlin to discuss progress on jointly developing Deep Precision Strike missiles.
A flagship education fund aimed at helping young people from more deprived areas has helped broaden opportunities to learn beyond the classroom and improved outcomes in a range of areas, a new report has found. The Attainment Scotland Fund (ASF) has helped narrow the poverty related attainment gap for primary and secondary literacy and numeracy to record lows, the latest evaluation report shows.
The UK and Ukraine are set to agree a new world-leading partnership to boost global defensive capability against the the proliferation of low cost, high tech military hardware, including drones. President Zelenskyy set to visit Downing Street today 17 March 2026 as leaders agree new military partnership and announce new AI Centre of Excellence in Kyiv.
Bradford man obtained two of the three maximum-value Bounce Back Loans he applied for, with one refused. Shohid Ahmed applied for three Bounce Back Loans worth £150,000 using his wife's name, receiving £100,000 his restaurant was not entitled to He filed false documents with Companies House to make an innocent woman appear to be the director of his company.
The Notice of Election for the 2026 Scottish Parliament Election has been published today (Monday 16 March 2026). The election will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026 with polling taking place in three Highland constituencies.
Families across UK to benefit from over £50 million to help people pay for the rising cost of heating oil.  Chancellor confirms over £50 million with £4.6million in Scotland for low income families who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices.  The price of kerosene - the fuel used for heating oil - has been especially affected by the conflict in the Middle East and has risen faster than other fuels such as petrol and gas. Government announces intention to regulate heating oil sector to introduce new consumer protections, alongside securing agreement with industry to quickly improve customer experiences.
Statement from Andy King, Chief Executive of Companies House, on the WebFiling security issue. On Friday 13 March, Companies House was made aware of a security issue which meant that a logged-in user of our WebFiling service could potentially access and change some elements of another company's details without their consent after performing a specific set of actions.
When paying for goods online, Pay by Bank, credit cards, and debit cards all move money differently and have different protections and fees. Here's a comparison as Pay by Bank save the online retailers fees but may not be best for the consumer.
A major youth employment drive backed by £1 billion will help create 200,000 jobs for young people, alongside the biggest transformation of apprenticeships in a decade. Major employment drive - backed by large and small businesses and celebrity chef Tom Kerridge - will reverse rising number of young people neither earning nor learning, after a 37 percent increase between 2021 and 2024.
Additional support for people caring for more than one person. Financial support for unpaid carers in Scotland is being strengthened in recognition of their vital role.
Below are the most likely ways Scotland will handle the funding, based on how similar funds have been used before and the tools they already have. Many people not on benefits may get very little or nothing.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, or MTD ITSA, is a significant change for self-employed people and landlords in the UK. From April 2026, self-employed individuals with combined gross income from business and property over £50,000 are required to keep digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC.
Supporting families at risk of poverty and improving outcomes for children are at the heart of a funding package totalling more than £7.5 million. The Scottish Government investment spans three key programmes, each designed to address the root causes of child poverty and give families the tools they need to thrive.
Seth takes a closer look at the Trump administration and Republicans saying the Iran war is both a short excursion and a longer war. There is plenty of truth exposed in comedy..
Water has always been the quiet architecture of civilization as it is the invisible infrastructure beneath every harvest, every city, every power grid, every public health system. Yet, as the United Nations University bluntly warns, the world has now crossed a threshold that can no longer be described as a "crisis." The old language of emergency and recovery has lost its meaning.