Actor Neil Morrissey will headline Mark Gatiss's stage adaptation A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story, set to run at London's Alexandra Palace this winter. He will play Jacob Marley as the production returns to the venue for a third season, running from 21 November 2025 to 4 January 2026. Morrissey, known for Waterloo Road and Line of Duty, joins Matthew Cottle of The Windsors as Scrooge. Based on Charles Dickens's […]

An Imperial College London-led study estimates that at least 1,147 people in the UK died from heat linked to climate change this summer. The UK experienced its hottest summer on record, with researchers saying human-caused warming made extreme heat more frequent and intense. The team used modelling and historical mortality data to produce early estimates, finding climate change raised temperatures by about 2.2C on average and up to 3.6C between […]

Lloyds Banking Group has recorded a 52% rise in romance scam reports among people aged over 55 in the past year compared with the year before. The bank's analysis comes from cases reported by customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, covering the 12 months to July 2025. Those aged 55 to 64 remain the most affected, making up about 20% of cases, with 65 to 74-year-olds at 18%; […]

Talks are due to take place on Wednesday between the RMT union and London Underground to resolve the dispute that triggered last week’s Tube strike. RMT members walked out, bringing most services to a standstill for several days and leaving millions of commuters, visitors and others to seek alternative travel by bike, bus or taxi. The dispute centres on working hours after the union signalled acceptance of a 3.4% pay […]

UK inflation was 3.8% in August, the same as July, according to the Office for National Statistics. Airfares fell after the July spike and helped offset higher petrol and diesel prices, while demand for meals out and overnight stays remained strong as concerts and other events drew crowds. Food and drink inflation rose to 5.1% in August from 4.9% in July, marking the fifth consecutive monthly increase and the highest […]

Amazon has announced a pay rise for UK staff that outpaces inflation. From the end of the month, the minimum starting wage will rise by 5.9% to £14.30 per hour, while some workers will see a 5.5% rise to £15.30 per hour, depending on location. Frontline annual salaries will start at £29,744 and can rise to £31,824 depending on location. The company said the increase will affect tens of thousands […]

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, involving three women. The offences are alleged to have occurred between 2021 and 2022 during his time with Arsenal. Partey appeared at Southwark Crown Court, confirming only his name, date of birth and not guilty pleas. Partey, who now plays for Villarreal in Spain, is due to face trial before […]

Five well-known Scottish actors have joined a campaign addressing pensioner poverty. Alex Norton, 75, of Taggart, is joined by James Cosmo, 77; Denis Lawson, 77; Sheila Reid, 87; and Bill Paterson, 80, in a campaign organised by the charity Independent Age. The group has recorded a video urging the UK Government to ensure pensioners have an adequate income and to press the Scottish Government to develop a long-term strategy to […]