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£1.7 million investment in detoxification and residential rehabilitation in the Highlands and Islands. More people across the Highlands and Islands will be able to access residential rehabilitation – including dedicated detoxification services – thanks to a £1.7 million Scottish Government investment in CrossReach services in Inverness.

The oil price falls below $89 is telling us that the oil market is currently putting more weight on the possibility of easing geopolitical tensions and weaker demand than on the very serious supply problems in the Middle East. Brent fell by more than 3% today, reaching about $89.10 a barrel, while WTI fell to about $82.08.

Britain is becoming a much more digital economy. We tap cards and phones to pay for coffee, use online banking rather than visiting branches and increasingly expect even small purchases to be completed electronically.

When the argument over Britain's water industry turns to privatisation, Scotland is often held up as the alternative. Scottish Water remains publicly owned, has no shareholders and does not pay dividends to investors.

For anyone who has been watching the oil price over recent months, the latest movement might seem rather strange. The United States has intensified economic pressure on Iran, Scott Bessent has warned of an "economic D-Day", Iran is under increasing financial pressure and there has even been another incident involving an oil tanker near Oman.

For decades, successive British governments have been attracted to the same proposition to let private companies do the work and the taxpayer will save money. The theory sounds convincing as a private company can supposedly operate more efficiently, introduce new technology, employ specialist staff and deliver services at a lower cost than the state.

The latest figures suggest that the UK is moving into a "low-hire, low-fire" labour market. Businesses are not necessarily making large numbers of redundancies, but they are becoming much less willing to take on new employees.

When Britain's water industry was privatised in 1989, the argument was that private ownership would bring investment, commercial discipline and efficiency. The public would benefit because private companies would have the incentive to run the industry effectively, while regulation would prevent them from exploiting their monopoly position.

There was a time when free trade was regarded as one of the great economic ideas of the modern world. The argument was relatively straightforward - if countries concentrated on producing the goods and services they were particularly good at producing, and then traded freely with one another, everybody could benefit.

The government announces its first wave of funding from its £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme. Families stuck without a secure home to benefit from the first wave of funding from the government’s £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme .

The UK Government has just announced almost £10 billion of housing funding for England, supporting the delivery of more than 70,000 new social and affordable homes. It is an eye-catching announcement, particularly because the Government says it wants to put councils back at the heart of housebuilding.

Gold is doing something rather interesting again. After falling sharply from the extraordinary highs reached earlier this year, the price has been climbing rapidly.

There is something rather odd about the way we treat sunscreen in Britain. We know that exposure to ultraviolet radiation can cause skin cancer.

Highland Council has now formally launched its statutory consultation on proposals to replace Thurso High School and reorganise primary school provision in the town. The consultation concerns the proposed relocation of Thurso High School, Pennyland Primary School and Miller Academy Primary School to a new education campus based around the existing Thurso High School site and the proposed Community Point of Delivery.

Most of us have been brought up to think about debt in a very simple way. If you borrow money, you owe somebody that money.

We are looking for part-time / relief bar staff to join our team. * Casual, part time work as and when needed * Must be able to work evenings and weekends * Must be over 18 * Full bar training can be provided If you would like to join our team, and for more info on this post, please contact our Head Steward Donna by messaging our Facebook page or pop in to the Seaforth Club and see her.

No booking required. Get ready to create..

Chef de Partie – Full Time We’re looking for a passionate and reliable Chef de Partie to join our kitchen team. You’ll work alongside our Head Chef and wider kitchen team to deliver high-quality food across breakfast, lunch and dinner service.

Set in a prominent location on the popular NC500 route is this well established 8-bedroom hotel (all ensuite), with public bar, lounge bar, dining room, owners’ accommodation, covered beer garden, detached garage and large commercial tarmacadam carpark. Originally a church manse, dating back to the 19th century, this impressive and substantial property boasts many original features throughout including a beautiful feature staircase, ornate cornicing, high skirtings and ceilings, and decorative internal archways.

Here at Riverside house care home in Wick we are looking to employ full or part time care assistants to join our team. SVQ level 2 in care would be an advantage but not essential full training will be provided.

A&D Sutherland Ltd have vacancies for general labourers. The positions are based on the main Quarry site in Spittal.

This 3 bedroom detached bungalow is situated in a popular residential area in Thurso. It is a few minutes walk from the coast and a short walk into town.

Some medicines can make you more sensitive to the sun or increase the risk of dehydration without you realising it. The MHRA is encouraging people to know the risks and stay protected this summer.

A story on BBC by Luke Mintz caught our attention. Read it and think hard if your children remain unvaccinated.

Here at Riverside house care home we are looking to employ a full time domestic assistant to join our team, hours to be worked are 8am-2pm over five days including some weekends. Duties include dusting, hoovering, mopping and sanitizing surfaces in all areas of the home including kitchen areas, bathrooms, living spaces and bedrooms.

This charming two-bedroom detached cottage is offered for sale with a range of useful outbuildings and approximately 7.5 acres of adjoining land. Ideally situated just a short distance from Wick, the property benefits from uPVC double-glazed windows and doors, external insulation, and oil-fired central heating.