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Andy Burnham has certainly been making his presence felt so I have ben giving some thought to how we could look at things more from a costof living view for residents of our region. Since becoming Prime Minister, his early approach has been to concentrate on the things that people notice in their everyday lives the cost of electricity, bus fares and some of the irritating practices that make household finances feel even tighter.

There is something slightly uncomfortable about the way Scotland talks about road investment. Billions are being committed to transforming the A9 between Perth and Inverness, yet once we look north of Inverness, the conversation seems to become much quieter.

The stories making the news in Caithness are not just isolated events. Taken together, they reveal a county dealing with change in transport, politics, energy, housing, fishing, tourism and community life.

Britain’s pubs can be busy, football grounds can be full, and airports can be crowded while millions of people are still struggling to pay for life’s essentials. The cost-of-living crisis has not disappeared simply because some people cannot see it.

For more than a century, aviation has been tied to one remarkable invention: the jet engine. It transformed the world, shrinking continents and making international travel commonplace.

Britain is spending billions supporting a power station that burns enormous quantities of wood to produce electricity. Now Drax wants to add carbon capture to the process, potentially turning one of Britain's most controversial power stations into a giant carbon-removal project.

Chair of HIE, Angus Campbell, explores how our islands are at the heart of a £100bn pipeline of investment opportunities, helping to drive economic growth, clean energy and community prosperity across the Highlands and Islands. The Highlands and Islands has long been recognised for outstanding natural assets, entrepreneurial spirit and resilient communities.

Millions of people will receive essential financial support before the August bank holiday weekend, as the Government has confirmed that benefit payments will be brought forward to Friday 28 August. Pension and benefit payments to be brought forward to Friday 28th August to account for bank holiday.

I think that journalists are all asking politicians the wrong question. They should be asking every politician: “What are your priors?” Instead, they ask “How are you going to pay for it?” That's the wrong question because a person’s priors are the assumptions they bring to every debate before they even look at the evidence.

A scheme to help people on low incomes and in priority groups buy their first affordable home has opened for applications. The Open Market Shared Equity Scheme (OMSE) is available for first-time buyers and priority access groups who can’t afford the full price of a home.

FSA National Food Crime Unit operation leads to one arrest and the seizure of suspected illegal food products across England, Wales and Scotland. The headline sounds alarming: more than 33 tonnes of suspected illegal frozen food has been seized in a major National Food Crime Unit investigation.

Thermal cameras detect heat rather than light, making them invaluable in difficult battlefield conditions, like smoke and dust. They can spot targets at long distances and operate when traditional cameras fail.

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.

While around 60% of women giving birth every month are vaccinated, UKHSA warns many thousands of babies still at risk. UKHSA today publishes the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) annual report which shows around 50% fewer infants under 6 months being admitted to intensive care with RSV disease in England.

Senior medics and dentists will receive an above-inflation pay uplift at the end of September, after the Scottish Government agreed to implement recommendations from an independent pay review board. Consultants, GPs, Specialty, Specialist and Associate Specialist (SAS) doctors and dentists will receive a 3.5% increase for 2026-27.

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

Patti Bremner, the Countryside Ranger for East Caithness explains why dune systems need our protection and why recreational fires pose a real risk to these habitats. Working in an office alongside the Dunnet Bay sand dunes I have come to appreciate and respect them more and more each working day.

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.

Andy Summers, Ranger describes the efforts he and local volunteers have taken recently to help save this species. Oyster plant is one of Scotland’s northern coastal specialists, a species more at home on the cold shores of the North Atlantic and Arctic than further south.

Community groups invited to apply for funding to support projects that reduce waste and promote a circular economy The Highland Council is encouraging community organisations across the region to apply for the latest round of its successful Reuse and Repair Fund, which supports projects that help keep valuable materials and products in use for longer. Grants of between £2,000 and £50,000 are available to support a range of community‑led initiatives that will help people repair, reuse and upcycle materials - reducing waste and supporting a stronger circular economy.

For some of you out there this article is old hat so it is really aimed at people who may never have tried some of the old ways to save money and still make nutritious food When food prices are rising, the obvious response is to look for cheaper products. But there is another way to reduce the pressure on the household budget: Make the food you already buy go further.

When President Donald Trump announces a new tariff, the message is usually simple. "Foreign countries will pay." But that is not quite how tariffs work.

If the Profits Leave Britain, Does It Make Us Poorer? Every time another British company is bought by an overseas investor, the same question appears. "If the profits go abroad, doesn't Britain become poorer?" It sounds like a simple question.