11 h. ago English councils plan to sell off social clubs and sports centres to balance books

Survey finds 60% of key cities councils are planning to sell assets to meet costs of adult and children’s social careEnglish councils are planning to sell social clubs, sports centres and shopping arcades as they bet on a fire sale of assets to balance the books, according to a survey of local authorities.The key cities group of councils, which represents second-tier cities in England, said 60% of councils were planning to sell assets to meet the escalating costs of adult and children’s social care. Continue reading...

Politics

17 h. ago UK borrowing costs jump as investors lose faith in Rachel Reeves’ Budget

Gilts sell off after government ditches plan to increase income tax rates

Economics

17 h. ago UK borrowing costs jump as investors lose faith in Reeves’ Budget

Gilts sell off after government ditches plan to increase income tax rates

Economics

23 h. ago WRU to centrally contract every Welsh rugby player as full details of new control emerge

There have been a number of heated discussion over the past couple of weeks between the WRU and regions

Sport

35 h. ago How 1million will pay tax for the first time if Budget raid goes ahead – min wage and pensioners will be hit hardest

A MILLION extra people will be dragged into paying income tax if Rachel Reeves presses ahead with a punishing stealth rise, a new report reveals. Pensioners and minimum wage earners face being hit by tax thresholds being frozen for a further two years to help balance the books. Income tax thresholds are frozen until 2028, so...

Economics

59 h. ago Plaque for Alice In Wonderland illustrator reinstalled after 65 years in storage

Sir John Tenniel illustrated Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871).

Politics

2 d. ago SIMON LAMBERT: Why Rachel Reeves' Budget may spell bad news for your pay packet

The budget is coming up and the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, needs to balance Britain's books. That could spell bad news for your pay packet.

Economics

4 d. ago Open Lanes | Lee Valley Athletics Centre | Sport and fitness in London

Open Lanes | Lee Valley Athletics Centre | Sport and fitness in London  Time Out

Sport

5 d. ago City’s plan to sell alcohol at youth baseball games splits residents: ‘What are we doing?’

Move transfers concession stand operations from local youth association to private contractor

Politics

5 d. ago I’m a committed introvert – but no AI will take away the joy I get from other people | Emma Beddington

While it might be soothing to think you could replace social interactions like book clubs with ChatGPT, subcontracting human thought out to a bot will never bring happiness This is depressing: according to the Cut, people are using AI to solve escape room puzzles and cheat at trivia nights. Surely, that is the definition of spoiling your own fun? “Like going into a corn maze and just wanting a straight line to the end,” says one TikToker quoted in the article. There’s also an interview with a keen reader who uses ChatGPT as a book club replacement, scraping the internet and aggregating “stimulating opinions and perspectives”. All well and good (actually, no, it sounds bleak as hell) until he had a character’s death spoilered in the fantasy epic he had been enjoying.Meanwhile, Substack seems to be clogging up with AI-generated essays. The nu-blogging platform is an earnestly artisanal space where writers craft their stuff; subcontracting that to a bot seems like the acme of pointless...

Politics

6 d. ago Scottish social justice secretary urges Chancellor not to slash Motability car scheme

SNP’s Shirley-Anne Somerville writes to UK ministers warning them not to balance the books at the expense of disabled people.

Society

7 d. ago Ridiculed rugby star at centre of Jac Morgan row reveals Wales captain's kind gesture

It came after one of the most contentious moments of the year and caused a real stir

Politics

9 d. ago 'Abhorrent': Scottish council slammed after moving adult English classes from school campus

Renfrewshire council has been called ‘abhorrent’ after moving adult English classes following an anti-refugee backlash

Politics

9 d. ago Rachel Reeves warned not to rely on business taxes to fill Budget black hole

The Confederation of British Industry said the Government ‘cannot pull the business tax lever once again to balance the books’.

Events

9 d. ago UK will not invest in Brazilian tropical forest fund at Cop30

Britain will not commit public money as Rachel Reeves grapples with balancing the books ahead of the Budget.

Economics

1 week ago London social club screen the Celebrity Traitors finale: How to watch on the big screen

The Celebrity Traitors is gearing up for its grand finale – and Londoners can even watch it on the big screen

Politics

1 week ago England hand central contract to Jacob Bethell as Ben Stokes future confirmed ahead of Ashes

Bethell was previously on a development deal but earns an upgrade after a breakthrough year

Politics

1 week ago Meet the British shot put champion doubling up as a bobsleigh pilot with an eye on Milan 2026

Having won her third British shot put title in four seasons in the summer, Adele Nicoll also has a Winter Olympic dream – and admits she’s ‘terrible for wanting to do everything’Walking through the University of Bath’s vast sports complex to Britain’s only bobsleigh push-start track, a momentary silence is broken by the thwack of a ball and hearty cheers from excited adolescent spectators.It is the first Wednesday afternoon – when inter-university sport takes centre stage – of the academic year, and Adele Nicoll is reflecting on how her own undergraduate days inadvertently led her to this point. Nicoll, then a sport and exercise science student at Cardiff University, had an eye on making it as an international shot putter, but not to the detriment of enjoying all aspects of university life; she played as hard as she worked. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Unemployed Ryan Giggs charging £149 for 'intimate' meet and greets at social clubs

Ryan Giggs is one of the most decorated British footballers of all time - and now he is going on tour across the UK

Society

1 week ago The big Celtic vs Rangers questions answered by the Jury as ref and VAR analysed and Martin O'Neill warned

It was an action packed weekend at Hampden as the Premier Sports Cup semi finals took centre stage

Events