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theferret

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The Ferret is an award-winning investigative journalism platform based in Scotland. We are a #coop owned by our readers and writers. Join us!

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@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

Reports today say approving the UK’s biggest untapped oil field could risk breaching international law, as profits would flow to a company linked to the occupied West Bank.

This is an issue The Ferret has reported on since 2022. Our key investigations 👇🧵

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

"I am more concerned with EU propaganda than the clunky Russian version."
https://shorturl.at/2yi0z

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

"If Russia invaded Ukraine at the same time as China invaded Taiwan that would be quite a coup."

That's what David Coburn, former UKIP Scotland leader, wrote in 2021. In 2018, he travelled to pro-Moscow TV channels in Ukraine on a trip paid for by a front reportedly created by Russian intelligence agents.
https://shorturl.at/2yi0z

Close-up photo of former Brexit Party MEP David Coburn standing at a microphone, looking to the side, with a blurred background. A red banner across the bottom of the image contains white text that reads: “Here’s what former Brexit party MEP David Coburn has said about Russia and Ukraine.” The Ferret logo appears in the top right corner, with a photo credit “Image: Derek Bennett / Flickr” at the top left.
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@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

💨🍃 Scotland has more wind turbines than ever, but they are often paid not to spin. Those payments are expensive - they've cost the UK more than £1.3bn in 2025.

What is going on? As part of our new De-noiser series, we've been taking a look: www.theferret.scot/why-are-scottish-wind-farms-paid-billions-to-switch-off/

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“Now they want us to make money by manufacturing explosives for armed conflict”
https://bit.ly/3K9dZDO

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🔴 EXCLUSIVE: The Ministry of Defence has apologised after it accidentally leaked secret documents to The Ferret revealing it was considering Grangemouth and other sites across the UK for new arms factories.

Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4i5MZSg

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“It is far too easy for the true owners of property to hide behind secret trusts and offshore structures.”

Our latest investigation shows how an oligarch praised by Putin controls UK property, including in Scotland’s biggest town
https://www.theferret.scot/russian-oligarch-paisley/

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

🔴 NEW: A Russian oligarch praised by Vladimir Putin has amassed a property portfolio in Scotland and England under the veil of secretive offshore trusts.

Anti-corruption campaigners say our investigation is a “shocking indictment” of the UK’s “dirty money” defences
https://www.theferret.scot/russian-oligarch-paisley/

Composite image showing a man in a suit between Moscow’s St Basil’s Cathedral and Paisley Abbey under a dramatic cloudy sky. Signs reading “Moscow” and “Paisley” appear beside him. Text on the image reads: “The Russian oligarch and the Paisley car park.”
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@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

Grassroots organisations say Scotland’s £500m ‘just transition’ fund has been “captured” by corporate interests – including oil billionaire Sir Ian Wood
https://theferret.scot/anger-as-public-cash-for-just-transition-flows-to-big-business/

View of Aberdeen Harbour showing cranes, cargo containers, and docked ships, with city buildings in the background. Text overlay reads: “Anger as public cash for ‘just’ transition flows to big business.”
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Scotland’s biggest waste incinerators released over one million tonnes of CO₂ in 2024, a record high. Campaigners say ministers have “lost control” of waste burning
https://theferret.scot/scotland-waste-burners-record-pollution/

Two industrial chimneys emit thick white smoke against a cloudy sky. Text on the image reads: “Scotland’s waste burners pump out record pollution.”
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@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

🔴 NEW: A company that sold a major Highland port for an undisclosed sum to a Japanese firm received over £30m of taxpayers’ money – including £10m just a few months ahead of the sale.

Our latest: https://theferret.scot/global-energy-received-30m-of-taxpayers-money/

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🔴 NEW: Lochs in Orkney, the Highlands and the Outer Hebrides are among waters containing high levels of toxic pollutants with health risks known as ‘forever chemicals’.

Our latest investigation: https://theferret.scot/orkney-highlands-hebrides-lochs-forever-chemicals/

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🔴 NEW: Disgruntled islanders have criticised Scotland’s first spaceport in the far north of Shetland for a “culture of secrecy and bad stewardship”, according to a new report.

Our latest: https://theferret.scot/shetland-spaceport-under-fire-from-local-community/

A view over grassy cliffs and coastline in Shetland with a large industrial building near the sea. Text overlay reads: "Shetland spaceport under fire from local community".
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@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

"The umbrella tax scam is a blatant attack on workers’ pay"
https://theferret.scot/scots-umbrella-firms-nhs-tax-avoidance/

A collage illustration of a woman in business attire sitting on a red sofa with a tablet. Behind her are stacks of large gold coins, all beneath the outline of a house roof.
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@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

📢 We're launching a new training project to help young people spot and challenge disinformation online.

In partnership with CILIPS, Young Scot, thanks to support from The National Lottery Community Fund.

Find out more more: https://theferret.scot/the-ferret-helps-young-people-tackle-disinformation/

classroom setting with a person with short hair putting their hand up
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@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

We examined more than 2,600 Scottish Enterprise payments over £25k made between 2020 and 2024. Eighteen companies — all tax haven-owned — each received £1m or more
https://theferret.scot/scottish-government-77m-secretive-tax-haven-firms/

Composite image with a fighter jet, shipping container vessel, and a smiling Rupert Murdoch, set against a digital network-themed background. Overlaid text reads: “Scottish Government gave £77m to secretive tax haven firms.”
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@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

This week in Geneva, 170+ countries are meeting to agree the world’s first treaty to end plastic pollution.

Scientists say we need bold action to protect people and the planet.

We’ve been reporting on how plastic pollution is harming Scotland’s seas, wildlife and people 🧵

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🌊 Microplastics at record levels

Scientists have found the highest ever concentration of microplastics in Scottish waters, 210,891 per km² in the Solway Firth. They’re in our food chain, our water, and even our bodies: https://theferret.scot/highest-ever-level-microplastics-scotland-waters/

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

🔴 NEW: A fishing boat off Shetland broke down and abandoned more than 80km of netting in the sea for almost a month, prompting fears sea life and the marine environment may have been damaged.

Find out more: https://theferret.scot/shetland-fishing-boat-abandoned-nets-month/

The Genesis II fishing vessel is moored at a harbour in Shetland with green nets stacked on its deck. Text on the image reads: “Shetland fishing boat abandoned 80km of nets in seas for almost a month.” The Ferret logo appears in the top right corner.
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@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

In a world flooded with misinformation, falling trust in the media and news fatigue, what does good journalism look like? We reflect on our first ten years, and where The Ferret is headed next
https://theferret.scot/ten-anniversary-the-ferret-looking-ahead/

Photo of The Community Newsroom in Govanhill, Glasgow, painted bright yellow with blue trim. The window is decorated with a large drawing of a cake with '10' on it, candles, and a cartoon ferret, celebrating The Ferret’s 10th anniversary. Text on the image reads: 'Ten years on, The Ferret is still digging — and looking ahead'.
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@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

Scottish Government claimed it would be “antisemitic” to release information about secret meeting with Israel
https://theferret.scot/scottish-government-antisemitic-meeting-israel/

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Campaigners have condemned the delay as “ministerial appeasement of the National Farmers Union in Scotland at the expense of Scotland’s nature”
https://theferret.scot/beaver-bid-blocked-kate-forbes-affric/

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A free and independent media is key to democracy. So why are so many of Scotland’s biggest papers owned offshore? We traced the corporate trail
https://theferret.scot/third-of-scotland-newspapers-owned-in-us-tax-haven/

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Not one of the seven companies that own the most-read Scottish titles are incorporated in Scotland
https://theferret.scot/third-of-scotland-newspapers-owned-in-us-tax-haven/

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

A political summit to discuss the threat from the far right will take place in Scotland tomorrow. It was organised by first minister John Swinney who said parties had to unite to "lock out" the far right from Scottish politics 🧵

theferret OP ,
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Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, has not been invited. The Scottish Conservatives have said they will not attend

theferret OP ,
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The Ferret has investigated the far right for the past decade and published dozens of investigations. We exposed Scottish Dawn in an undercover investigation that led to the group being banned under terror laws
https://theferret.scot/revealed-neo-nazi-terrorists-are-behind-scotlands-newest-far-right-group/

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We also revealed that neo-Nazis and white supremacists with Patriotic Alternative from England travelled to Scotland to whip up hate against asylum seekers
https://theferret.scot/far-right-figure-anti-asylum-seeker-protest-erskine-guilty-inciting-hatred/

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and that the election watchdog staff accused senior figures in the far right Homeland party of breaking their own code of conduct by sharing “terrorist literature” and “antisemitic and racist” content
https://theferret.scot/far-right-terrorist-racist-rules-election-watchdog/

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We exposed Scots far right activists who possess weapons
https://theferret.scot/supporters-of-scots-far-right-group-possess-weapons/

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In one case, a man posing as a Home Office official gained info about a hotel housing refugees. That intel was later used to organise harassment and plan sabotage
https://theferret.scot/far-right-activist-target-scotland-asylum-hotel/

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

Scottish Limited Partnerships (SLPs) have been linked to some of the biggest financial scandals of the past decade — from global bank fraud to internet scams and sanctions breaches
https://theferret.scot/a-timeline-of-scottish-limited-partnerships/

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

One of the companies The Ferret investigated was registered to a residential flat. On the door: no name, just signs of everyday life. On paper: a business linked to £11 million in recovered funds
https://theferret.scot/muirhouse-slp-and-the-king-of-fraud/

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

🔵 NEW: Court documents seen by The Ferret link a Scottish Limited Partnership, registered to a flat in Edinburgh, to a large-scale international ad fraud scheme.

We visited the address and investigated how these partnerships continue to raise concerns over transparency 🧵

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According to the documents, the SLP — Octmedia LLP — was used during an operation that generated millions of fake ad views using malware. Advertisers were billed for traffic that didn’t come from real users.

theferret OP ,
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Octmedia was registered in Scotland but controlled via firms based in the Seychelles.
Money linked to the scheme moved through accounts in several countries, including the UK, Russia and Switzerland.

theferret OP ,
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In 2017, UK law required SLPs to name their beneficial owners. Octmedia responded by naming another SLP — also tied to offshore firms — rather than individuals.
Only 3 of 631 SLPs registered in 2022 were created by Scottish residents.

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Authorities recovered over £11 million from a bank account linked to the SLP. Campaigners say gaps in regulation remain, despite recent reforms.

Full story: https://theferret.scot/muirhouse-slp-and-the-king-of-fraud/

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

“This latest development must be a wake up call. It’s time to step away from farmed salmon – as consumers, and as a nation”
https://theferret.scot/salmon-farms-210-appeals-lice-controls/

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

🔴 NEW: Giant supertrawlers routinely fish in Scotland’s marine protected areas, damaging precious marine life and fish populations, despite the UK Government having had the powers to stop them since Brexit.

Find out more: https://theferret.scot/supertrawlers-fish-scotland-marine-protected-areas/

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An investigation by Greenpeace has found that the waters most heavily fished by foreign supertrawlers in the last five years were off the coast of Scotland and included seas around Shetland and the Hebrides.

Supertrawlers are massive industrial freezer trawlers measuring more than 100 metres in length. Using enormous nets, they catch hundreds of tonnes of pelagic fish like herring and blue whiting in a single day.

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But supertrawlers also damage rare habitats and unintentionally catch large quantities of species including dolphins and porpoises as well as sharks, seals and rays.

Greenpeace has accused the UK Government of “failing our protected seas” while calling for a ban on “supertrawlers, and other types of industrial fishing” from marine protected areas.

Read the full article: https://theferret.scot/supertrawlers-fish-scotland-marine-protected-areas/

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

"[Trump] shouldn’t have any kind of footprint in Scotland let alone one that is doing so much damage to our natural world"
https://theferret.scot/trump-course-caused-more-damage-to-dunes-last-year/

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

More than 100 environmental breaches at fish farms
https://theferret.scot/fish-farms-environmental-breaches/

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

🔴 NEW: Fish farms have broken environmental rules more than 100 times in the last two years, according to Scottish Government regulators.

Find out more: https://theferret.scot/fish-farms-environmental-breaches/

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

Across the UK, farmers are protesting tax changes they say threaten their livelihoods. But questions are being raised about groups using these protests to push conspiracies and misinformation
https://theferret.scot/are-conspiracy-groups-hijack-farmers-protests/

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

🔍 FACT CHECK: A viral claim shared by Elon Musk alleges that UK MPs voted against a measure to deport foreign-born individuals convicted of rape. But is this true?

We looked into it and found this claim to be False. Here’s why 👉 https://bit.ly/4fRkxAL

@theferret@mastodon.scot avatar theferret , to random

Lungs of the ocean: The underwater ‘weed’ that could help Scotland tackle climate change

“Watch out for orange crabs, and jellyfish…they can give a sore sting,” warns Philip Price. “Pour hot water…


https://theferret.scot/seagrass-underwater-weed-climate-change/?pk_campaign=feed&pk_kwd=seagrass-underwater-weed-climate-change