Latest News

Today

Rise in Fuel Thefts

Police Scotland continue to see a rise in fuel thefts across all areas of the country.  This can largely be attributed to recent fuel prices and speculation about fuel shortages.  All types of fuel are being targeted from domestic heating oil to commercial fuels stored on farms and construction sites.  

Today

 
High Street Under Pressure: Which Food Businesses Are Most Likely to Disappear and Which Will Survive

Across the UK, the high street is entering a period of quiet but significant change.  Rising energy costs, strained supply chains, and shifting consumer habits are combining to reshape the economics of everyday food businesses.  

Today

New interceptor missiles successfully tested in the Middle East as Defence Minister visits region

The UK military and Gulf partners will be better protected against drone attacks following the successful testing of new British-built Skyhammer interceptor missiles and launchers in Jordan.   New Skyhammer interceptor missiles and launchers, produced by UK start-up Cambridge Aerospace, successfully tested in Jordan.  

Today

Fish and Flying Hit By High Fuel Costs

The recent wave of headlines about fuel shortages, grounded fishing fleets, and rising costs can feel like disconnected problems.  In reality, they are all symptoms of the same underlying issue: a fragile and tightly interconnected energy system under strain.  

Today

A Shrinking Shield: What Trump’s 5,000 Troop Withdrawal from Germany Really Means for Europe

When Donald Trump threatened to pull 5,000 U.S.  troops out of Germany, many commentators treated it as another diplomatic flare‑up between Washington and Berlin.  

Today

What alternatives do Gulf states have to the Strait of Hormuz?

Two months into the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz is still mostly shut.  Vessel traffic is running at a fraction of pre-war levels, with the patchwork of ceasefires, blockades and re-closures since February 28 not restoring confidence on the bridge of any tanker.  

Today

Why Oil Prices Pulled Back to Around $108 and What It Really Means for the Economy

Oil prices are notoriously volatile, and recent movements are a clear example of how quickly global markets can shift from panic to partial calm.  After surging during periods of geopolitical tension, prices have recently eased back toward the $108 per barrel range.  

Today

Trump Tariffs, European Exports, and the Risk of a New Trade Escalation

Trade tensions between the United States and Europe have repeatedly centred on a familiar set of industries: cars, alcohol, and high-value manufactured goods.  Under Donald Trump’s trade policy approach both during his first presidency and again in his more recent return to office—tariffs have been used as a strategic tool to pressure trading partners, protect domestic industries, and renegotiate trade terms.  

Today

 
The Slow Death of the Tumble Dryer: How High Energy Costs Are Reviving the Clothes Horse

For decades, the tumble dryer symbolised convenience.  It was the appliance that freed people from damp winters, endless laundry days, and the tyranny of the washing line.  

Today

From Thrift to Thermostats: How Home Baking Became an Energy‑Limited Luxury and How to Keep It Affordable

For generations, home baking was the great leveller.  A bag of flour, a knob of butter, a warm oven, and you could turn out bread, scones, or a tray of biscuits for pennies.  

Today

Why some countries give away free electricity and even pay consumers to use it

In parts of Germany and Australia, a surprising thing is happening more and more often: households are being offered free electricity.   This is happening at times of day when there are high levels of energy being generated from solar or wind.  

Today

SFO secures £10m from British defence supplier

Ultra Electronics Holdings Ltd (previously PLC) accepts responsibility for failure to prevent bribery and will pay millions to the taxpayer as a penalty.   The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has secured a £10 million payment from a British manufacturer of electronic systems for the international defence and aerospace market after it acknowledged accountability for failure to prevent bribery.  

Today

Amid rising tensions, ‘friendshoring’ might keep global trade alive

The world economy is at a crossroads.  International trade is slowing, economic uncertainty is rising, and trade between the US and China – the world’s two largest economies – risks pulling apart.  

Today

 
Trading Standards - Solar Panel Scams

There has been a recent increase in cold calls from companies offering solar panel servicing or wrongly telling people that they need to repair or upgrade their solar inverters or renew their warranty.   One man was advised by a cold caller that he needed a new inverter box, costing almost £4,000, for his solar panels, as they were over ten years old.  

Yesterday

Welcome Boost For Scotland and Kentucky As President Trump Abolishes Tariffs On Whisky Helping Scotland and Kentucky

The recent announcement by former U.S.  President Donald Trump to abolish tariffs on Scotch whisky marks a notable shift in transatlantic trade relations, with implications that extend well beyond the distilleries of Scotland.  

Yesterday

 
Friday Rant - “You Cannot Be Serious” A Modern Lament

It was, as all great national crises are, first noticed at the petrol pump.   There I stood, nozzle trembling, digits spinning upward with the enthusiasm of a fruit machine that had finally found religion.  

Yesterday

We Will All Feel The Cost of Fertilizers As Food Prices Rise Dramatically Into 2027

Rising fertiliser costs rarely make headlines in the way oil prices or interest rates do, yet they sit at the very foundation of the global food system.  In 2026, this largely invisible input has become one of the most important economic pressure points facing farmers in the United Kingdom and around the world—and its effects are beginning to ripple outward toward consumers.  

Yesterday

Renters Rights In England From Today 1 May And Some Smaller Changes For Scotland

What the changes coming in from today, Friday 1st May mean for you – including the ban on Section 21 no fault evictions, and new rules on pets and rent increases.   On  1 May 2026, new laws kicked in to give 11 million renters stronger rights, better protections and more security in their homes.   These changes are the most significant in nearly 40 years and will transform renters’ experiences.  

Yesterday

Scottish election 2026: what the manifestos say about education

The political parties are saying a lot about many thing in the run up to 7 May.   Tes magazine has brought together what they say about education.  

Yesterday

Prescription for Pressure: When Rising Drug Costs Collide with NHS Reality

In the public imagination, the National Health Service is a vast, steady institution free at the point of use, resilient in crisis, and quietly dependable.  But behind the scenes, a more complicated story is unfolding.